The first protein structures to be solved was hemoglobin and myoglobin , by Max Perutz and Sir John Cowdery Kendrew , respectively , in 1958 . As of 2016 , the Protein Data Bank have over 115 @,@ 000 atomic @-@ resolution structures of proteins . In more recent times , cryo @-@ electron microscopy of large macromolecular assemblies and computational protein structure prediction of small protein domains are two methods approaching atomic resolution .