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Downloading the NCBI (nucleotide) database is a standard task for researchers running local BLAST+ searches to handle large-scale genomic data or proprietary sequences. Because the nt database is massive (often exceeding 100 GB compressed), the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides specialized tools to ensure stable and efficient downloads.
: The --decompress flag ensures that the downloaded .tar.gz volumes are automatically extracted into ready-to-use BLAST database files. Method 2: Direct FTP Download
The most reliable methods to download the nt database are using the update_blastdb.pl script, direct FTP download, or cloud providers like AWS and GCP. Method 1: Using the update_blastdb.pl Script (Recommended)
: Ensure you have the BLAST+ applications installed on your system.