Rosetta MCP Server

Rosetta/PyRosetta protein modeling and Biotite translation for computational biology

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Rosetta MCP server?

Most knowledge and memory work still happens through a UI a human drives. Rosetta MCP server moves it into the conversation instead. Rosetta/PyRosetta protein modeling and Biotite translation for computational biology.

The short version

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets Cursor (or any MCP client) work with Rosetta, PyRosetta, and Biotite: run RosettaScripts, validate XML protocols, translate between Rosetta and Biotite, score structures, and query documentation -- all from your AI coding assistant.

The tools it exposes

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

  • Cleanup — The Cleanup tool exposed by this server
  • Documentation — The Documentation tool exposed by this server
  • Translation — The Translation tool exposed by this server
  • Environment — The Environment tool exposed by this server

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: ROSETTA_BIN, PYTHON_BIN. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

Getting it running

rosetta-mcp-server on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

How it compares

Plenty of knowledge and memory 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. Rosetta's toolset — Cleanup, Documentation, Translation and 1 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by Arielbs; 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.

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.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
CleanupThe Cleanup tool exposed by this server.
DocumentationThe Documentation tool exposed by this server.
TranslationThe Translation tool exposed by this server.
EnvironmentThe Environment tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Rosetta MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rosetta": {
      "command": "rosetta-mcp-server",
      "args": [],
      "env": {
        "ROSETTA_BIN": "/path/to/rosetta_scripts.default.macosclangrelease",
        "PYTHON_BIN": "/path/to/.venvs/rosetta-mcp/bin/python"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
ROSETTA_BINConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
PYTHON_BINConfiguration value read at startup.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Rosetta to Cleanup.
  • Use Rosetta to Documentation.
  • Use Rosetta to Translation.

Frequently asked questions

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