Extract text from RELION data files (STAR)
To convert STAR data files to another format, you need RELION or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Scientific Metadata" file type, you need software like RELION or a similar tool.
The .STAR file extension primarily denotes a Self-defining Text Archive and Retrieval file, the standard metadata format for RELION (REgularised LIkelihood OptimizatioN) in the field of Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM). These files contain critical parameters for particle picking, motion correction, and 3D reconstruction, structured in flexible data_ blocks and loop_ lists similar to the CIF format.
While technically human-readable text, .STAR files are notoriously difficult to handle outside of the Linux-based RELION command line. They often contain tens of thousands of rows with variable whitespace, making them sluggish to open in standard text editors like Notepad++ and prone to column misalignment when imported directly into Microsoft Excel. This creates a significant barrier for scientists trying to plot statistics, debug processing jobs, or clean their datasets manually.
To analyze your data or migrate between processing pipelines (e.g., moving to CryoSPARC), the best workflow is converting the .STAR file to CSV or TSV. This allows for easy manipulation in Python (pandas) or spreadsheet software.
*Note: A secondary, less common use of this extension is for HPE StoreServ or HP SUM (Smart Update Manager) archives. These are binary system update packages and should not be converted or edited manually.*
Convert.Guru analyzes your STAR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SGA, NPZ and SDU files.
If you want to convert STAR file to , you can use RELION or similar software from the "Cryo-EM Metadata Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to STAR, try RELION or another comparable tool in the "Cryo-EM Metadata Storage" 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 STAR converter.