A side-by-side look at the Chembl MCP Server and Gnomad Genetics MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Chembl MCP Server for biology & bioinformatics work as a local process; choose Gnomad Genetics MCP Server for biology & bioinformatics as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE, CHEMBL_MAX_SPILL_ROWS, CHEMBL_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED.chembl_search_molecules, chembl_get_bioactivities, chembl_search_targets.GNOMAD_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED, GNOMAD_MAX_VARIANT_BATCH.gnomad_get_variant, gnomad_get_gene_constraint, gnomad_list_gene_variants.Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Biology & Bioinformatics | Biology & Bioinformatics |
| Quality signal | 56/100 · Good | 56/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPECHEMBL_MAX_SPILL_ROWSCHEMBL_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED | GNOMAD_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLEDGNOMAD_MAX_VARIANT_BATCH |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 1 | 1 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 8 | 8 |
| Full listing | View Chembl MCP Server | View Gnomad Genetics MCP Server |
chembl_search_moleculesFind compounds by name / ChEMBL ID / InChIKey, or run a structure search (exact \chembl_get_bioactivitiesThe flagship compound↔target bridge: bioactivity measurements for a molecule, a target, or **both** (the compound×target pair), ranked on `pchembl_value`, or the measurements without one via `potency_view`. Large sets spill to a canvas.chembl_search_targetsResolve a protein / gene symbol / UniProt accession to the ChEMBL target ID `chembl_get_bioactivities` needs.chembl_get_drug_infoDrug pharmacology — mechanism(s) of action, molecular target(s), action type, first-approval year, and clinical indications.chembl_get_assayAssay provenance behind a bioactivity row — type, target, organism, and ChEMBL's 1–9 confidence score.chembl_dataframe_queryRun a read-only SQL `SELECT` over the bioactivity rows spilled to a canvas — rank, group, dedupe, aggregate across the full set.chembl_dataframe_describeList the tables and columns staged on a canvas, so you can write correct SQL before querying.chembl_dataframe_dropDrop a named staged table from a canvas. Opt-in via `CHEMBL_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED=true` — absent from `tools/list` when off, since TTL already reclaims staged tables.gnomad_get_variantFull population record for one or more variants — AC/AN/AF overall and per genetic-ancestry group, homozygote/hemizygote counts, quality flags, transcript consequence, in-silico predictors, and joined ClinVar significance.gnomad_get_gene_constraintGene loss-of-function constraint — pLI, LOEUF (`oe_lof_upper`) with confidence interval, observed/expected ratios, and Z-scores. By HGNC symbol or Ensembl gene ID.gnomad_list_gene_variantsEvery variant in a gene, transcript, or region with allele frequencies and predicted consequences, filterable by consequence class and max allele frequency.gnomad_get_coverageSequencing coverage across a gene, transcript, or region — mean/median depth and the fraction of samples over depth thresholds, per callset track.gnomad_search_clinvarGene-level ClinVar detail via NCBI E-utilities — classified variants, review status, conditions, submission counts, and gnomAD-compatible variant IDs, paged by offset.gnomad_dataframe_queryRun a read-only SQL `SELECT` across canvas tables staged by the list tools.gnomad_dataframe_describeList the tables staged on a canvas and their columns before writing SQL.gnomad_dataframe_dropDrop a named table from a canvas to reclaim memory. Opt-in via `GNOMAD_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED=true` — off by default.Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
{
"mcpServers": {
"chembl-mcp-server": {
"command": "bunx",
"args": [
"@cyanheads/chembl-mcp-server@latest"
],
"env": {
"CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE": "YOUR_CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE_HERE",
"CHEMBL_MAX_SPILL_ROWS": "YOUR_CHEMBL_MAX_SPILL_ROWS_HERE",
"CHEMBL_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED": "YOUR_CHEMBL_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED_HERE"
}
}
}
}
{
"mcpServers": {
"gnomad-genetics-mcp-server": {
"command": "bunx",
"args": [
"@cyanheads/gnomad-genetics-mcp-server@latest"
],
"env": {
"GNOMAD_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED": "YOUR_GNOMAD_DATAFRAME_DROP_ENABLED_HERE",
"GNOMAD_MAX_VARIANT_BATCH": "YOUR_GNOMAD_MAX_VARIANT_BATCH_HERE"
}
}
}
}