longevity-genie/opengenes-mcp
This is an open-source MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides a queryable interface to the OpenGenes database, a curated collection of genes implicated in aging and longevity research. The server allows LLMs and other MCP clients to retrieve structured information about genes that influence lifespan, healthspan, and age-related phenotypes, across multiple organism models. It exposes a set of resources and tools via the standard MCP protocol, supporting both stdio and SSE transports for flexible integration. The underlying data includes gene symbols, descriptions, organism, associated literature, and functional effects on lifespan. It currently includes data for the worm C. elegans, with potential support for other organisms. Built as a Python package, it can be installed via pip and run locally, with configuration for use as a local tool or as a network server. It is designed for developers and researchers building AI-powered scientific assistants, enabling rapid literature triage and hypothesis generation in aging biology. The project is part of the longevity-genie initiative and leverages the OpenGenes project's efforts to standardize aging genetics data. It is MIT licensed and aims to lower the barrier for integrating biological knowledge into LLM workflows.
- Category
- Developer Tools
- Pricing
- Open Source
Problem solved
Researchers and developers working on aging biology often need to quickly access gene-disease associations from scattered literature. This tool solves the problem by providing a standardized, programmatic way to query a curated aging gene database through MCP, allowing LLMs to retrieve accurate, up-to-date information without manual searching.
Use cases
- Ask an AI assistant 'Which genes extend lifespan in worms?' and get a list of genes with supporting evidence.
- Look up detailed information for a specific gene like SIRT1, including its role in aging across species.
- Integrate aging gene queries into a custom LLM application for drug discovery research.
- Use the MCP server in a bioinformatics pipeline to automatically annotate gene lists with aging relevance.
- Educational use: students can interactively explore longevity genes via a conversational interface.
Audience
- Researchers
- Data Scientists
- ML Engineers
- Developers
Pros
- Open source and free
- Integrates with MCP ecosystem
- Provides curated aging gene data
- Supports multiple transport protocols
- Easy to install and run
Cons
- Limited to organisms currently in the database (possibly only C. elegans)
- Data freshness depends on OpenGenes updates
- Requires some technical setup to run as a server
Official website: https://github.com/longevity-genie/opengenes-mcp
Canonical LambdaBase page: https://www.lambdabase.com/tools/longevity-genie-opengenes-mcp