Extract text from MGF files
To convert your MGF file to another format, you need Mascot Server or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Proteomics Data" file type, you need software like Mascot Server or a similar tool.
The .MGF extension represents distinct file formats, most commonly the Mascot Generic Format used in proteomics and mass spectrometry. This plain-text file serves as a universal standard for encoding MS/MS peak lists (mass-to-charge ratios and intensities) to be processed by search engines like Mascot Server. While MGF files are critical for identifying peptides and proteins, they are raw data files that lack intrinsic visualization capabilities. Researchers often struggle with MGF files because they require specialized bioinformatics tools like MZmine or ProteoWizard to view, and they cannot be opened in standard spreadsheet software despite being text-based. To make this data accessible for analysis or publication, users frequently convert MGF to mzML (the open standard for mass spectrometry) or parse the peak lists into CSV or Excel formats.
Alternatively, an .MGF file may be a Minitab Graph File created by Minitab Statistical Software. These files store charts and graphs generated from statistical analysis. A common issue here is proprietary lock-in; you cannot view a Minitab MGF file without a licensed copy of the software. For sharing reports with colleagues or embedding charts in presentations, the best workflow is to convert these MGF files to standard image formats like PNG, JPG, or PDF. Less commonly, MGF may refer to legacy formats like Monarch Graphic Files or Materials and Geometry Format (3D), which generally require conversion to modern standards like OBJ for 3D preservation.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MGF file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted LC96P, MSP, MSG, PDF, MDF, XLSX, JPG, ZIP, TXT, PNG and SDOCX files.
If you want to convert MGF file to MSP, PDF, OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D or STL, you can use Mascot Server or similar software from the "Mass Spectrometry Peak List" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to MGF, try Mascot Server or another comparable tool in the "Mass Spectrometry Peak List" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our MGF converter.