Evolution and Trends in the Electron Microscopy Data Bank

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) have transformed structural biology by enabling the visualization of biological macromolecules at near-atomic resolution. Since its establishment in 2002, the Electron Microscopy Data Bank (EMDB) has played a pivotal role in this “Resolution Revolution,” serving as a central repository for cryo-EM data. Over the past decade, major advances in detector technology, image processing, and analytical methodologies have led to a surge in cryo-EM structure depositions. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of temporal trends in the EMDB, highlighting the growing number of entries, improvements in resolution, and the evolution of detector usage. It emphasizes the rise of single-particle analysis (SPA) as the dominant cryo-EM technique and examines how high-resolution detectors have enhanced data quality. Additionally, it explores resolution standards across leading scientific journals, underscoring the role of EMDB not only as a data archive but also as a catalyst for innovation in structural biology.