NCBI Gene Client FAQs

Question 1

What is the NCBI Gene Client?

Accepted Answer

The NCBI Gene Client is a Python-based tool designed to fetch gene and protein metadata directly from the NCBI Entrez API. It can be used as a standalone command-line utility or as an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server.

Question 2

What kind of biological data can I retrieve using this tool?

Accepted Answer

You can retrieve comprehensive gene information (including ID, symbol, description, organism, chromosome, summary) and detailed protein metadata. It supports searching by keywords, NCBI Gene/Protein IDs, or gene symbols with organism filters.

Question 3

Does the client handle NCBI API rate limiting?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the NCBI Gene Client includes built-in, automatic rate limiting to ensure compliance with NCBI's API usage guidelines (e.g., 3 requests/sec without an API key, 10 requests/sec with an API key).

Question 4

How can I integrate NCBI Gene Client into my existing workflows?

Accepted Answer

The tool offers flexible integration options: use its easy-to-use command-line interface, integrate its Python API into your scripts, or run it as an MCP server to connect with other MCP-compatible clients and systems.

Question 5

Is it necessary to use an NCBI API key or email with the tool?

Accepted Answer

While not strictly required for basic use, it's highly recommended to provide your email address as per NCBI guidelines. Supplying an API key is optional but significantly increases your request rate limits, allowing for faster data retrieval.

NCBI Gene Client

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