Rotifer Protocol

Posted on Mar 25 • Originally published at rotifer.dev

Introducing @rotifer/mcp-server: Give Any AI Agent Access to the Gene Ecosystem

#mcp #ai #opensource #devtools

The Rotifer gene ecosystem is now accessible to any AI agent that speaks MCP. One command, zero configuration:

npx @rotifer/mcp-server

Add it to your MCP client config and your agent can search, inspect, execute, and compare genes from the cloud registry — directly within conversations.

What It Does

@rotifer/mcp-server exposes Rotifer's Cloud API as MCP tools and resources. Your AI agent gets:

7 Tools

Tool	Description
`list_genes`	Search and browse the gene registry with filters
`get_gene`	Get detailed gene info including phenotype and README
`run_gene`	Execute a gene with custom input
`compare_genes`	Side-by-side comparison of two genes
`get_gene_stats`	Download statistics by time period (7d/30d/90d)
`get_leaderboard`	Developer reputation rankings
`get_developer_profile`	Developer profile and reputation data

5 MCP Resources

Resource URI	Description
`rotifer://genes/{id}`	Gene details
`rotifer://genes/{id}/stats`	Gene statistics
`rotifer://developers/{username}`	Developer profile
`rotifer://leaderboard`	Global leaderboard
`rotifer://local/genes`	Scan local workspace for installed genes

Local Gene Discovery

The list_local_genes tool scans your workspace for installed genes and returns metadata, compile status, and cloud origin — bridging your local development with the cloud registry.

Setup

Cursor

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rotifer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@rotifer/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rotifer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@rotifer/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Works with any MCP-compatible client. Zero API keys required — the server uses the public Cloud API by default.

Custom Endpoints

Self-hosting or using a regional mirror? Set your endpoint:

ROTIFER_CLOUD_ENDPOINT=https://your-instance.example.com npx @rotifer/mcp-server

Or configure via ~/.rotifer/cloud.json.

The Journey: v0.1 → v0.2 in 4 Days

Version	Date	Milestone
v0.1.0	Mar 11	Initial release: 4 tools, Cloud API integration
v0.1.1	Mar 12	Fix npx binary resolution, query sanitization
v0.1.2	Mar 13	README with setup guides for major MCP clients
v0.2.0	Mar 14	3 new tools, 5 MCP resources, 139 tests

By the Numbers

7 MCP tools
5 MCP resources
139 tests (unit, integration, protocol, security, resilience)
Zero-config setup with public Cloud API defaults

Get Started

npx @rotifer/mcp-server

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