# Folklore MCP server > Interpret public GRCh38 germline variants under ACMG/AMP and look up gene-disease evidence and literature. - Listing: https://mcp.tc/i/folklore - Connect: use the server's own URL `https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp` (no sign-in); clients connect to it directly. The listing link is a page, not an MCP endpoint. - Type: remote (Streamable HTTP) - Auth: none - Category: [AI & Machine Learning](https://mcp.tc/c/ai-ml) - Vendor: Helena Bioinformatics - Homepage: ## About Folklore connects to public genomic evidence sources. You can classify or interpret one germline SNV or simple indel under 50 bp (ACMG/AMP), review a VUS, check ClinVar assertions and population frequency, find ClinGen gene-disease associations, and search a PubMed-derived genetics literature corpus. Folklore provides public gene, disease, variant and publication evidence for qualified professional review. Resolve a public gene identity with resolve\_gene, then use get\_gene\_profile and get\_gene\_section within the same immutable snapshot. search\_gene\_literature returns a separate live capture without abstracts. Variant queries support one public GRCh38 germline nuclear SNV or simple indel under 50 bp. No patient or private case data or file uploads. Results are not diagnoses or treatment recommendations. It runs as a hosted Streamable HTTP endpoint. No account or API key is needed. ## What it can do - Classify a GRCh38 germline variant under ACMG/AMP - Resolve coordinates, HGVS, SPDI or rsID notation - Find publications for a variant - Read full PubMed record details by PMID - Semantic search of a genetics literature corpus - Find diseases for a gene from ClinGen - Find genes for a disease or MONDO ID ## Tools (11) - `search_variant_evidence`: Classify or interpret one public GRCh38 germline variant with automated ACMG/AMP evidence. (read-only) - `search_variant_literature`: Resolve a variant and retrieve relevant publications from the PubMed-derived corpus. (read-only) - `get_publication_details`: Get the full bibliographic record and abstract for one PMID. (read-only) - `search_literature_corpus`: Semantic search of the literature corpus by question, with PMID, DOI or PMCID anchors. (read-only) - `support_helena`: Opt-in information on supporting Helena's free public infrastructure. (read-only) - `get_gene_disease_associations`: Find ClinGen gene-disease validity assertions for one gene. (read-only) - `search_disease_genes`: Find genes with ClinGen assertions for a disease name or MONDO ID. (read-only) - `resolve_gene`: Find the authoritative public human gene identity for a symbol, previous symbol, alias, HGNC, Ensembl or NCBI Gene identifier. (read-only) - `get_gene_profile`: Read one source-qualified gene profile after resolve\_gene and explicit candidate selection when needed. (read-only) - `get_gene_section`: Read or continue one section of the current public gene profile using its exact gene\_id, snapshot\_id and opaque section cursor. (read-only) - `search_gene_literature`: Retrieve the public gene page live literature capture after authoritative gene resolution. (read-only) ## Example prompts - "Classify NM\_000546.6:c.743G\>A under ACMG/AMP and list the applied criteria" - "Review the evidence for this VUS in BRCA2 using GRCh38 coordinates" - "Which diseases does the gene MYH7 have ClinGen assertions for?" - "Find publications about the TP53 R248Q variant" ## Install ### Claude Code 1. Run this in a terminal, in your project folder: ```bash claude mcp add --transport http folklore https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp ``` 2. Start Claude Code and type `/mcp`. **folklore** should show as connected. Add `--scope user` to make it available in every project, not just this one. ### Claude Desktop 1. Open **Customize → Connectors**, click **+ Add**, then **Add custom connector**. 2. Name it **Folklore** and paste this URL: ```url https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp ``` 3. Click **Add**. Its tools appear in the chat’s tools menu. Claude Desktop’s JSON config file only starts local servers. Remote servers go through Connectors, and connectors you add on claude.ai show up here too. ### claude.ai 1. Open the connector form on claude.ai. This button fills in the name and URL for you: [Add to claude.ai]() (opens connector settings) 2. Check that the URL reads `https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp` and click **Add**. 3. Turn it on in a chat from the tools menu. Free plans allow one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds it under **Organization settings → Connectors**. ### ChatGPT 1. On chatgpt.com, go to **Plugins**, select **+**, then **Add custom MCP server**. 2. Enter a name for the server. 3. Under **Connection**, paste `https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp` as the server URL, then for authentication choose **No authentication**. 4. Check **I understand and want to continue**, then select **Create as a plugin**. Whether you can add a custom MCP server depends on your ChatGPT plan and your workspace permissions (in Business workspaces, admins and owners can). ### Cursor [Add to Cursor]() (opens Cursor) Or add it by hand to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (all projects) or `.cursor/mcp.json` (this project): `mcp.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "folklore": { "url": "https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp" } } } ``` ### VS Code [Install in VS Code]() (opens VS Code) Or from a terminal: ```bash code --add-mcp '{"name":"folklore","type":"http","url":"https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp"}' ``` Or commit it to the repo in `.vscode/mcp.json`: `.vscode/mcp.json`: ```json { "servers": { "folklore": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp" } } } ``` ### Devin Desktop 1. Add it to `~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json` (macOS and Linux) or `%APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json` (Windows): `mcp_config.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "folklore": { "serverUrl": "https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp" } } } ``` 2. Refresh the MCP server list in Cascade. Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. It reads `serverUrl` (or `url`) for remote servers. ### Codex ```bash codex mcp add folklore --url https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp ``` Or edit `~/.codex/config.toml` directly: `config.toml`: ```toml [mcp_servers.folklore] url = "https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp" ``` ### Gemini CLI ```bash gemini mcp add --transport http folklore https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp ``` This adds it to the current project. Add `-s user` to use it everywhere. ### Any client Most clients accept this shape. Some name the URL field differently: `serverUrl` in Devin Desktop, `httpUrl` in Gemini CLI’s settings file. ```json { "mcpServers": { "folklore": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp" } } } ``` Zed puts servers under `context_servers` in its settings. Cline needs `"type": "streamableHttp"`, or it assumes SSE. Client only starts local servers? Bridge it with `npx -y mcp-remote https://api.helena.bio/folklore/v1/mcp`. ## Recent changes - 2026-10-30 20:48 UTC: New version 1.6.0 (was 1.5.0), reported by the server. Source: automatic check. - 2026-10-30 20:48 UTC: 4 tools added. Server instructions changed. Source: automatic check. Worth a look: new server instructions. Added: get\_gene\_profile, get\_gene\_section, resolve\_gene, search\_gene\_literature. - 2026-10-29 11:21 UTC: Tracking started: 7 tools read. Source: automatic check. More on the History tab, with descriptions before and after for the newest entries: https://mcp.tc/i/folklore#history (Atom feed: https://mcp.tc/i/folklore/history.xml). It records what mcp.tc's anonymous checks saw, every 3 hours where the tool list can be read without sign-in; it is not a security review. ## Details - Server version: 1.6.0 - MCP protocol version: 2026-07-28 - Last checked: 2026-10-31 (reachable) - Listed: 2026-10-29 - Updated: 2026-10-31 --- Source: https://mcp.tc/i/folklore (mcp.tc is an independent directory, not affiliated with this server's publisher). Corrections: https://mcp.tc/report