MCP MCP Server

EBI BioStudies MCP.

Local serverstdio

What is the MCP MCP server?

EBI BioStudies MCP. The mcp mcp server wraps that behind the Model Context Protocol, so an assistant can use it through 2 defined tools rather than through you.

What it actually does

Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1394+ live data sources.

Adding it to your client

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • search_studies — Search EBI BioStudies — a keyless database of biological study descriptions that links across EBI archives (ArrayExpress, PRIDE, etc.). Find studies
  • get_study — Get the metadata for a single EBI BioStudies study by accession (e.g. "S-EPMC6010251"). Returns the title, flattened attributes (abstract, release

Caveats

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the mcp mcp server does with a few real requests.

When to reach for it

Among the database access options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. MCP's toolset — search_studies, get_study — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by mojibake-ai; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against MCP's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
search_studiesSearch EBI BioStudies — a keyless database of biological study descriptions that links across EBI archives (ArrayExpress, PRIDE, etc.). Find studies by keyword and get accession, title, authors, type, release date, and l
get_studyGet the metadata for a single EBI BioStudies study by accession (e.g. "S-EPMC6010251"). Returns the title, flattened attributes (abstract, release date, data source, etc.), and counts of links and subsections. EBI BioStu

How to install the MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "biostudies": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/biostudies/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Example prompts to try

  • Use MCP to search studies.
  • Use MCP to get study.

Frequently asked questions

It connects MCP to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 2 tools (search_studies, get_study) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with MCP directly.