Bring Interpro
to VS Code Copilot
Learn how to connect EBI InterPro to VS Code Copilot and start using 16 AI agent tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code.
GDPR Free for SubscribersCompatible with every major AI agent and IDE
Gemini
What is the EBI InterPro MCP Server?
Connect to the InterPro API and access the world's most comprehensive resource for protein family, domain, and functional site classification.
What you can do
- Domain Classification — Retrieve detailed InterPro entry information including family/domain descriptions, GO terms, and member database cross-references
- Multi-Database Access — Query entries from Pfam, CDD, SMART, Prosite, PANTHER, Gene3D, HAMAP, and more through a unified interface
- Protein Annotation — Find all InterPro domains, families, and sites annotated on any UniProt protein
- Structure Mapping — Discover PDB structures containing proteins that match specific InterPro entries
- Taxonomic Distribution — Explore which organisms contain proteins matching a domain or family — essential for evolutionary biology
- Proteome Coverage — Assess domain annotation coverage for complete proteomes
- Clan Analysis — Navigate Pfam clan hierarchies to understand super-family relationships
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- No API key required — the InterPro API is fully public
- Start classifying proteins from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
Your AI agent becomes a protein domain expert with access to InterPro's unified classification of protein families from 13+ member databases. All data is sourced from the official InterPro REST API maintained by EMBL-EBI.
Who is this for?
- Molecular Biologists — classify unknown proteins into families and predict their functional domains
- Evolutionary Biologists — explore taxonomic distributions of protein domains across the tree of life
- Structural Biologists — find 3D structures containing specific protein domains for comparative analysis
- Bioinformaticians — integrate protein family classifications into automated annotation pipelines
Built-in capabilities (16)
CDD provides curated models for protein domain families and includes additional alignment and structure data. Use accessions like cd00001. Get CDD (Conserved Domain Database) entry details
Returns clan accession, name, description, and member counts. Use Pfam clan accessions like CL0001. Get Pfam clan (super-family grouping) details
Returns name, type (family, domain, homologous superfamily, repeat, site), description, Gene Ontology terms, member database cross-references, and literature count. Use accessions like IPR000001, IPR036291. Get InterPro entry metadata for a family or domain
Returns protein accessions, names, lengths, and source organisms. Useful for finding all members of a protein family across the UniProt database. Get all proteins matching an InterPro entry
Returns PDB IDs, names, experiment types, and resolutions. Useful for finding structural representatives of a protein family or domain. Get all PDB structures matching an InterPro entry
Returns taxonomy nodes with names, ranks, and protein counts. This answers the evolutionary biology question "which organisms have this domain/family?" and is essential for understanding protein evolution and conservation. Get taxonomic distribution of an InterPro entry
Pfam is the most widely used protein domain database. Use accessions like PF00069 (kinase domain), PF00076 (RRM domain). Get Pfam domain or family details
Returns the protein name, length, source organism, evidence level, fragment status, and counters for how many InterPro entries, Pfam domains, structures, and taxa are associated with it. Get protein details with all domain and family assignments
This is the key tool for understanding "what domains does my protein have?" — the fundamental question in protein characterization. Get all InterPro entries matching a specific protein
Returns proteome ID, organism name, strain, reference status, and counters for associated entries and proteins. Use UniProt proteome IDs like UP000005640 (human). Get proteome details with domain coverage statistics
Use a 4-character PDB ID like 1cbs or 4hhb. Get a PDB structure with mapped InterPro annotations
Returns the organism name, rank, lineage, number of children taxa, and counters for associated InterPro entries and proteins. Use IDs like 9606 (human), 10090 (mouse), 562 (E. coli). Get taxonomic node with entry and protein counts
Shows the number of entries in each database. Useful for understanding the scope of available domain and family annotations. List all InterPro member databases and entry counts
Optionally filter by entry type: family, domain, homologous_superfamily, repeat, or site. Returns accessions, names, types, and protein/structure counts. Use queries like "kinase", "zinc finger", "immunoglobulin". Search InterPro entries by keyword and type
Returns UniProt accessions, names, lengths, organisms, and annotation counts. Use queries like "insulin", "hemoglobin", "BRCA1". Search proteins in InterPro by name or keyword
Returns taxon IDs, names, ranks, and annotation counts. Use queries like "human", "drosophila", "arabidopsis", "saccharomyces". Search taxonomy by organism name
Why VS Code Copilot?
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings EBI InterPro data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 16 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
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VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
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Project-scoped MCP configs (
.vscode/mcp.json) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access - —
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
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GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
EBI InterPro in VS Code Copilot
EBI InterPro and 4,000+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.
Teams that connect EBI InterPro to VS Code Copilot through Vinkius don't need to source, host, or maintain individual MCP servers. Every tool call runs inside a hardened runtime with credential isolation, DLP, and a signed audit chain.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Server catalog | Find and host yourself | 4,000+ managed |
| Infrastructure | Self-hosted | Sandboxed V8 isolates |
| Credential handling | Plaintext in config | Vault + runtime injection |
| Data loss prevention | None | Configurable DLP policies |
| Kill switch | None | Global instant shutdown |
| Financial circuit breakers | None | Per-server limits + alerts |
| Audit trail | None | Ed25519 signed logs |
| SIEM log streaming | None | Splunk, Datadog, Webhook |
| Honeytokens | None | Canary alerts on leak |
| Custom domains | Not applicable | DNS challenge verified |
| GDPR compliance | Manual effort | Automated purge + export |
Why teams choose Vinkius for EBI InterPro in VS Code Copilot
The EBI InterPro MCP Server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS — a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts. All 16 tools execute in hardened sandboxes optimized for native MCP execution.
Your AI agents in VS Code Copilot only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure, zero maintenance.
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
How Vinkius secures
EBI InterPro for VS Code Copilot
Every tool call from VS Code Copilot to the EBI InterPro MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an API key?
No. The InterPro API is completely public and requires no authentication. Enter any placeholder value in the API key field to activate the server immediately.
What databases does InterPro integrate?
InterPro integrates 13+ member databases including Pfam (protein families), CDD (conserved domains from NCBI), SMART (signalling domains), Prosite (patterns and profiles), PANTHER (evolutionary classification), Gene3D (structural domains from CATH), HAMAP (microbial families), PRINTS (fingerprints), PIRSF (classification system), SFLD (superfamilies), and NCBIfam. This gives you a unified view of protein domain and family annotations from the world's leading classification resources.
Can I find which organisms have a specific protein domain?
Yes. Use the get_entry_taxonomy tool with any InterPro accession to see the taxonomic distribution of that domain or family. This shows which organisms — from bacteria to humans — contain proteins with that specific domain. It is one of the most powerful tools for evolutionary biology, revealing how protein domains have been conserved or diversified across the tree of life.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.
MCP tools not available
Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.
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