README Documentation
BioMCP
BioMCP is a single-binary CLI and MCP server for querying biomedical databases. One command grammar, compact markdown output, 12 entities across 15+ data sources.
Install
PyPI tool install
uv tool install biomcp-cli
# or: pip install biomcp-cli
This installs the biomcp binary on your PATH.
Binary install
curl -fsSL https://biomcp.org/install.sh | bash
Install skills
Install guided investigation workflows into your agent directory:
biomcp skill install ~/.claude --force
MCP clients
{
"mcpServers": {
"biomcp": {
"command": "biomcp",
"args": ["serve"]
}
}
}
From source
cargo build --release --locked
Quick start
biomcp health --apis-only # verify API connectivity
biomcp list # show all entities and commands
biomcp list gene # show gene-specific filters and examples
Command grammar
search <entity> [filters] → discovery
get <entity> <id> [sections] → focused detail
<entity> <helper> <id> → cross-entity pivots
enrich <GENE1,GENE2,...> → gene-set enrichment
batch <entity> <id1,id2,...> → parallel gets
Entities and sources
| Entity | Sources | Example |
|---|---|---|
| gene | MyGene.info, UniProt, Reactome, QuickGO, STRING, CIViC | biomcp get gene BRAF pathways |
| variant | MyVariant.info, ClinVar, gnomAD, CIViC, OncoKB, cBioPortal, GWAS Catalog, AlphaGenome | biomcp get variant "BRAF V600E" clinvar |
| article | PubMed, PubTator3, Europe PMC | biomcp search article -g BRAF --limit 5 |
| trial | ClinicalTrials.gov, NCI CTS API | biomcp search trial -c melanoma -s recruiting |
| drug | MyChem.info, ChEMBL, OpenTargets, Drugs@FDA, CIViC | biomcp get drug pembrolizumab targets |
| disease | Monarch Initiative, MONDO, CIViC, OpenTargets | biomcp get disease "Lynch syndrome" genes |
| pathway | Reactome, g:Profiler | biomcp get pathway R-HSA-5673001 genes |
| protein | UniProt, InterPro, STRING, PDB/AlphaFold | biomcp get protein P15056 domains |
| adverse-event | OpenFDA (FAERS, MAUDE, Recalls) | biomcp search adverse-event -d pembrolizumab |
| pgx | CPIC, PharmGKB | biomcp get pgx CYP2D6 recommendations |
| gwas | GWAS Catalog | biomcp search gwas --trait "type 2 diabetes" |
| phenotype | Monarch Initiative (HPO) | biomcp search phenotype "HP:0001250" |
Cross-entity helpers
Pivot between related entities without rebuilding filters:
biomcp variant trials "BRAF V600E" --limit 5
biomcp variant articles "BRAF V600E"
biomcp drug adverse-events pembrolizumab
biomcp drug trials pembrolizumab
biomcp disease trials melanoma
biomcp disease drugs melanoma
biomcp disease articles "Lynch syndrome"
biomcp gene trials BRAF
biomcp gene drugs BRAF
biomcp gene articles BRCA1
biomcp gene pathways BRAF
biomcp pathway drugs R-HSA-5673001
biomcp pathway articles R-HSA-5673001
biomcp pathway trials R-HSA-5673001
biomcp protein structures P15056
biomcp article entities 22663011
Gene-set enrichment
biomcp enrich BRAF,KRAS,NRAS --limit 10
Sections and progressive disclosure
Every get command supports selectable sections for focused output:
biomcp get gene BRAF # summary card
biomcp get gene BRAF pathways # add pathway section
biomcp get gene BRAF civic interactions # multiple sections
biomcp get gene BRAF all # everything
biomcp get variant "BRAF V600E" clinvar population conservation
biomcp get drug pembrolizumab label targets civic approvals
biomcp get disease "Lynch syndrome" genes phenotypes variants
biomcp get trial NCT02576665 eligibility locations outcomes
API keys
Most commands work without credentials. Optional keys improve rate limits:
export NCBI_API_KEY="..." # PubTator, PMC OA, NCBI ID converter
export OPENFDA_API_KEY="..." # OpenFDA rate limits
export NCI_API_KEY="..." # NCI CTS trial search (--source nci)
export ONCOKB_TOKEN="..." # OncoKB variant helper
export ALPHAGENOME_API_KEY="..." # AlphaGenome variant effect prediction
Multi-worker deployment
BioMCP rate limiting is process-local. For many concurrent workers, run one shared
biomcp serve-http endpoint so all workers share a single limiter budget:
biomcp serve-http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8080
Skills
14 guided investigation workflows are built in:
biomcp skill list
biomcp skill show 03
| # | Skill | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | variant-to-treatment | Variant annotation to treatment options |
| 02 | drug-investigation | Drug mechanism, safety, alternatives |
| 03 | trial-searching | Trial discovery and patient matching |
| 04 | rare-disease | Rare disease evidence and trial strategy |
| 05 | drug-shortages | Shortage monitoring and alternatives |
| 06 | advanced-therapies | CAR-T and checkpoint therapy workflows |
| 07 | hereditary-cancer | Hereditary cancer syndrome workup |
| 08 | resistance | Resistance mechanisms and next-line options |
| 09 | gene-function-lookup | Gene-centric function and context |
| 10 | gene-set-analysis | Enrichment, pathway, and interaction synthesis |
| 11 | literature-synthesis | Evidence synthesis with cross-entity checks |
| 12 | pharmacogenomics | PGx gene-drug interactions and dosing |
| 13 | phenotype-triage | Symptom-first rare disease workup |
| 14 | protein-pathway | Protein structure and pathway deep dive |
Ops
biomcp version # show version and build info
biomcp health # check all API connectivity
biomcp update # self-update to latest release
biomcp update --check # check for updates without installing
biomcp uninstall # remove biomcp from ~/.local/bin
Documentation
Full documentation at biomcp.org.
License
MIT
Quick Install
Quick Actions
Key Features
Model Context Protocol
Secure Communication
Real-time Updates
Open Source