ENCODE Toolkit MCP Server

1

Add it to Claude Code

Run this in a terminal.

Run in terminal
claude mcp add encode-toolkit -- uvx encode-toolkit
README.md

Genomics Research Infrastructure for Claude

ENCODE Toolkit — Genomics Research Infrastructure for Claude

Search ENCODE, cross-reference 14 databases, run 7 analysis pipelines, and generate publication-ready methods — all from natural language in Claude Code.

Start from ENCODE but go everywhere: discover histone peaks, cross-reference with GWAS variants, check ClinVar pathogenicity, pull GTEx expression, analyze TF binding motifs from JASPAR, run pipelines, and generate publication-ready methods with full provenance — in one conversation.


Citation Notes

If you use ENCODE-Toolkit, please cite:

Alex M. Mawla. (2026). ENCODE-Toolkit: an MCP server, Claude plugin, and skills suite for ENCODE genomic data access and analysis. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18917511

BibTeX

@software{mawla_2026_encode_toolkit,
  author  = {Mawla, Alex M.},
  title   = {ENCODE-Toolkit: an MCP server, Claude plugin, and skills suite for ENCODE genomic data access and analysis},
  year    = {2026},
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.18917511},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18917511}
}

Quick Start

Claude Code Plugin (recommended)

Start a new Claude Code session and enter:

/plugin marketplace add ammawla/encode-toolkit

/plugin install encode-toolkit

That's it. All 20 tools, 47 skills, and the MCP connector are now available.

MCP-only install (tools only, no skills)

If you only need the 20 MCP tools without the 47 workflow skills:

claude mcp add encode -- uvx encode-toolkit
Other editors and platforms
npx (Node.js)
npx encode-toolkit

Or in MCP client config: { "command": "npx", "args": ["encode-toolkit"] }

pip install
pip install encode-toolkit

Then use encode-toolkit as the command in any MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "encode": {
      "command": "encode-toolkit"
    }
  }
}
Claude Desktop (MCP only)

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "encode": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["encode-toolkit"]
    }
  }
}

No installation needed when using uvx. Just add the config and restart Claude.

VS Code / Copilot

Add to .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {

Tools (1)

encode_searchSearch the ENCODE database for genomic experiments and data.

Configuration

claude_desktop_config.json
{"mcpServers": {"encode": {"command": "uvx", "args": ["encode-toolkit"]}}}

Try it

Search for histone peaks in the ENCODE database for the K562 cell line.
Cross-reference these GWAS variants with known functional genomics data.
Analyze TF binding motifs from JASPAR for my current gene set.
Run the ChIP-seq analysis pipeline on the downloaded experiment data.
Generate a publication-ready methods section for my recent genomic analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of ENCODE Toolkit?

Access to 20 specialized genomic tools and 47 workflow skills. Cross-reference data across 14 different genomic databases. Execute 7 built-in analysis pipelines for functional genomics. Generate publication-ready methods with full provenance tracking. Seamless integration with Claude Code and standard MCP clients.

What can I use ENCODE Toolkit for?

Discovering histone peaks and binding sites for specific cell lines. Validating GWAS variants against clinical pathogenicity databases like ClinVar. Pulling GTEx expression data to correlate with experimental findings. Automating the generation of methods sections for research papers. Running standardized bioinformatics pipelines directly from a chat interface.

How do I install ENCODE Toolkit?

Install ENCODE Toolkit by running: /plugin marketplace add ammawla/encode-toolkit

What MCP clients work with ENCODE Toolkit?

ENCODE Toolkit works with any MCP-compatible client including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and other editors with MCP support.

Turn this server into reusable context

Keep ENCODE Toolkit docs, env vars, and workflow notes in Conare so your agent carries them across sessions.

Need the old visual installer? Open Conare IDE.
Open Conare