GeneOntology MCP Server

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol server for accessing Gene Ontology data with tools for term search, ontology navigation, gene annotations, and

Local serverstdioGo

What is the GeneOntology MCP server?

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol server for accessing Gene Ontology data with tools for term search, ontology navigation, gene annotations, and enrichment analysis. That is what the geneontology mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol server for accessing Gene Ontology (GO) data, enabling AI systems to perform ontology-based analysis, gene annotation research, and functional enrichment studies.

  • Term Search & Lookup — Search GO terms by keyword, name, or definition
  • Ontology Navigation — Explore hierarchical relationships between terms
  • Gene Annotations — Access GO annotations for genes and proteins
  • Validation — Validate GO identifiers and check term existence
  • Statistics — Get comprehensive ontology statistics and metadata

Getting it running

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at npm on npm and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 4 tools. What each one is for:

  • search_go_terms — Search across Gene Ontology terms by keyword, name, or definition
  • get_go_term — The get_go_term tool exposed by this server
  • validate_go_id — The validate_go_id tool exposed by this server
  • get_ontology_stats — Get statistics about GO ontologies (term counts, recent updates)

Things to watch

  • 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.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How it compares

Plenty of developer tooling servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. GeneOntology's toolset — search_go_terms, get_go_term, validate_go_id and 1 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by Augmented-Nature; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
search_go_termsSearch across Gene Ontology terms by keyword, name, or definition.
get_go_termThe get_go_term tool exposed by this server.
validate_go_idThe validate_go_id tool exposed by this server.
get_ontology_statsGet statistics about GO ontologies (term counts, recent updates).

How to install the GeneOntology MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "geneontology": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "npm"]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Example prompts to try

  • Use GeneOntology to search go terms.
  • Use GeneOntology to get go term.
  • Use GeneOntology to validate go id.

Frequently asked questions

It connects GeneOntology to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 4 tools (search_go_terms, get_go_term, validate_go_id, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with GeneOntology directly.