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Ensembl

Ensembl MCP for AI. Analyze any genomic data in plain conversation.

Claude Claude
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Cursor Cursor
Gemini Gemini
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Ensembl MCP on Cursor AI Code EditorEnsembl MCP on Claude Desktop AppEnsembl MCP on OpenAI Agents SDKEnsembl MCP on Visual Studio CodeEnsembl MCP on GitHub Copilot AI AgentEnsembl MCP on Google Gemini AIEnsembl MCP on Lovable AI DevelopmentEnsembl MCP on Mistral AI AgentsEnsembl MCP on Amazon AWS Bedrock

Connect to your AI in seconds.

Ensembl MCP gives you direct access to vast genomic data, letting your AI client pull gene trees, alignments, homologies, and cross-references from the Ensembl database in natural conversation.

What your AI can do

Get alignment

Pulls full genomic sequence alignments for a defined region.

Get archive bulk

Finds the newest version of multiple identifiers at once.

Get archive id

Determines the current stable version for a single identifier.

+ 24 more capabilities included
Find gene relationships across life

Retrieve complete gene trees and homology data for specific genes or species.

Pinpoint sequence variations

Determine the functional consequences of genetic variants using standardized notation like HGVS.

Map coordinates between versions

Convert genomic or cDNA coordinates when switching between different assembly versions.

Cross-reference identifiers

Link an Ensembl object to external databases using common symbols like BRCA2.

Analyze large regions of DNA

Get genomic alignments or calculate linkage disequilibrium across specific DNA sequences.

Included with Plan

Waiting for input…

AI Agent

Ensembl: 27 Bioinformatics Tools

These tools allow your agent to perform highly specific genomic tasks, ranging from sequence alignment (`get_alignment`) to finding related genes (`get_homology`).

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Get Alignment

Pulls full genomic sequence alignments for a defined region.

Get Archive Bulk

Finds the newest version of multiple identifiers at once.

Get Archive Id

Determines the current stable version for a single identifier.

Get Ga4gh Beacon

Provides allele information using the GA4GH beacon service.

Search Ga4gh Variants

Searches for genetic variants using the standardized GA4GH schema.

Get Genetree

Retrieves a visual gene tree structure for a specific identifier.

Get Homology

Gets information about genes that share common ancestry across different species.

Get Info Assembly

Lists all available chromosome assemblies for a given organism.

Get Info Rest

Shows the current version details of the Ensembl REST API.

Get Info Species

Lists every available species and their associated metadata within the database.

Get Ld

Calculates Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) values for a region of DNA.

Get Lookup Bulk

Performs bulk lookups to find information for many identifiers simultaneously.

Get Lookup Id

Finds the corresponding species and database type for a single identifier.

Get Map Cdna

Translates cDNA sequence coordinates back into genomic coordinates.

Get Map

Converts coordinates from one assembly version to another format.

Get Ontology Id

Searches for a specific term using its ontological identifier.

Get Overlap Region

Identifies features that overlap a defined genomic region.

Ping

Checks if the entire data service is currently operational.

Get Sequence Id

Requests the full DNA sequence based on a stable identifier.

Get Sequence Region

Retrieves a segment of genomic DNA by specifying start and end points.

Get Taxonomy Id

Searches for biological classification terms using either an ID or name.

Get Variation

Fetches details about genetic variants, including population data and genotypes.

Get Vep Bulk

Predicts the functional consequences for many DNA regions at once.

Get Vep Hgvs

Determines variant consequences using standardized HGVS nomenclature.

Get Vep Id

Predicts variant effects when given a recognized ID like an rsID.

Get Xrefs Id

Pulls external reference links for any Ensembl identifier.

Get Xrefs Symbol

Looks up a common gene symbol and returns all linked Ensembl objects.

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Claude AI

Claude AI

1

Open Claude Settings

Go to claude.ai, click your profile icon, then navigate to Customize → Connectors.

2

Add Custom Connector

Click the "+" button and select Add custom connector. Paste your Vinkius endpoint URL:

https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. For OAuth-protected servers, expand Advanced settings to add credentials.

3

Start a conversation

Open a new chat. The Ensembl integration is available immediately — no restart needed.

Choose How to Get Started

Build a custom MCP for your own tools, or connect a ready-made integration from our catalog.

Build Your Own

Turn any API into an MCP. Import a spec, define Agent Skills, or deploy with MCPFusion.

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Start building

Make Your AI Do More

Start with Ensembl, then connect any of our 5,100+ other servers whenever your AI needs more. One click, no limits.

  • Use this MCP plus 5,100+ others, all in one place
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  • Every connection is secured and compliant automatically
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  • Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more
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Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Ensembl. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more

The Model Context Protocol standardizes how applications expose capabilities to LLMs. Instead of operating in isolation, your AI gains direct access to external platforms, live data, and real-world actions through secure, standardized connections.

This connection provides 27 powerful capabilities that interface natively with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other compatible AI platforms. No middleware. No custom integration required.

Sifting through different database versions is a nightmare.

If you're working on genomics, you know the pain: an experiment runs fine using coordinates from 'Assembly V2', but when you try to submit that data today, the modern database rejects it because the map changed. You end up spending hours figuring out which coordinate system is correct and manually adjusting every single number in your dataset.

With this MCP, you just ask your agent to convert those old coordinates using `get_map`. The process handles all the complex assembly mapping behind the scenes. You get clean, usable data formatted for today's standards, no manual math required.

Getting gene relationships via homology and trees

Before this MCP, finding orthologs—the genes in different species that share a common ancestor—meant running specialized scripts for every pair of species you cared about. It was slow, error-prone, and required deep coding knowledge just to get a list.

Now, your agent uses `get_homology` or `get_genetree`. You ask the question in plain English: 'What are the orthologs for gene X?' The MCP delivers the full tree structure and related data instantly. It’s that simple.

What your AI can actually do with this

Think of this as bypassing weeks of scripting. Instead of writing custom Python or R code just to compare genes across species, you talk to the MCP. You can ask for everything from finding all orthologs (the genes that evolved from a common ancestor) to checking if two different identifiers refer to the same thing.

It’s like having a senior bioinformatician sitting next to you who knows every corner of the Ensembl database and can pull up any data point instantly, whether it's calculating linkage disequilibrium or just listing available species. When you connect this MCP through Vinkius, your AI client handles all the complex API calls—you just ask what you need.

It’s pure biological querying without the boilerplate code.

Built · Hosted · Managed by Vinkius Ensembl MCP - Genomic Data Analysis Tool
Server ID 019e5d16-5228-723f-8044-258a3ef9aed1
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Compliance Grade F
Score 9.37/100
Vinkius Inspector Badge — Score 9.37/100

Questions you might have

How do I check if an identifier is current using get_archive_id? +

Run get_archive_id with the specific Ensembl identifier you have. The MCP will return the latest stable version number and confirm its status within the most recent assembly.

What's the difference between get_homology and get_genetree? +

get_homology provides detailed information about related genes (orthologs/paralogs). get_genetree, however, outputs the actual tree structure showing how those genes are related evolutionarily.

Can I find external IDs using get_xrefs_symbol? +

Yes. If you provide a common gene symbol (like BRCA2), get_xrefs_symbol will look up all the linked Ensembl objects and return cross-references to other databases.

How do I predict variant effects with get_vep_hgvs? +

You provide the variant in HGVS notation (e.g., NM_00123:c.123A>G). The MCP uses get_vep_hgvs to run a consequence prediction, telling you if it's a missense mutation or something else.

What is the purpose of get_lookup_bulk? +

get_lookup_bulk lets you check multiple identifiers at once. Instead of running individual lookups for 20 genes, you input all 20 and get a comprehensive report back.

How do I check if the Ensembl API is running correctly using ping? +

The ping tool confirms immediate service availability. It simply sends a health check request to verify that the MCP connection and the underlying Ensembl REST API are online and accepting commands.

What is the difference between getting coordinates with get_map versus using get_map_cdna? +

Use get_map when you need to convert genomic coordinates from one assembly version to a different one. Meanwhile, get_map_cdna specifically handles converting cDNA sequences into their corresponding genomic locations.

How do I get metadata for all available species using get_info_species? +

The get_info_species tool lists every organism supported by the Ensembl database. This allows you to identify which taxa are available before attempting specific analyses like homology lookups.

How can I find orthologs for a specific gene across different species? +

Use the get_homology tool by providing the species name and the Ensembl gene ID. You can filter by type (e.g., 'orthologues') to see related genes in other organisms.

Can I retrieve the evolutionary gene tree for a specific identifier? +

Yes! The get_genetree tool allows you to fetch the gene tree for any stable Ensembl ID, with options for alignment and sequence types (protein or cdna).

How do I map a common gene symbol like 'BRCA2' to its Ensembl ID? +

Use the get_xrefs_symbol tool. Provide the species (e.g., 'human') and the symbol 'BRCA2' to retrieve all linked Ensembl objects and their stable identifiers.

Built & Managed by Vinkius 30s setup 27 tools

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