What is a .MCIF file?
The .MCIF file extension stands for MacroMolecular Crystallographic Information File. This type of file is used in the field of chemistry and crystallography to store detailed information about the structure of macromolecules. The data in an .MCIF file includes various crystallographic and magnetic properties, organized either in pairs of tags and values or within a loop structure, which is similar to a table format. This makes it easy to organize and retrieve specific data points from within the file.
The .MCIF format is an alternative to the more commonly known Protein Data Bank (.PDB) format. Both formats are used to store similar types of information, but .MCIF files can include additional details such as magnetic space groups. This capability was added to address the need for storing more complex data sets, following enhancements to the CIF (Crystallographic Information File) dictionaries by researchers Harold T. Stokes and Brandon J. Campbell.
To open and work with .MCIF files, several software programs can be used: 1. **CIFTr** - A tool specifically designed to handle CIF files, including .MCIF files. 2. **RasMol** - A molecular graphics visualization tool that can open and display the contents of .MCIF files. 3. **WebCIF** - An online tool that allows users to view and manipulate CIF files directly through a web browser. 4. **ISOCIF** - Another program capable of processing .MCIF files, focusing on the specific needs of crystallographic data.
These programs help researchers and scientists to visualize, analyze, and manipulate the molecular and crystallographic data contained within .MCIF files, facilitating a deeper understanding of the material's structure and properties.
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