Biorxiv MCP Server
@cyanheads/biorxiv-mcp-server Search and retrieve bioRxiv and medRxiv preprints - by DOI, date interval, or keyword - via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP. Its README documents 6 tools, including biorxiv_get_preprint, biorxiv_list_recent, biorxiv_search_preprints.
People who work with biomedical, biorxiv and cyanheads and want it reachable from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.
VERIFIED ACTIVE
LAST COMMIT 2026-09-23 · ★ 4 · #224 OF 998 MAINTAINED OTHER · VERIFIED 2026-09-30
NOASSERTION · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology
01 · Install Biorxiv MCP Server
before you install - you'll need
Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL before connecting. BIORXIV_MAILTO is optional or environment-specific per the README.
Claude Code
claude mcp add cyanheads-biorxiv-mcp-server --transport http https://biorxiv.caseyjhand.com/mcpClaude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config
{
"mcpServers": {
"cyanheads-biorxiv-mcp-server": {
"url": "https://biorxiv.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
}
}
}Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.
Using another client? Same JSON, different key
Claude Desktop · mcpServers
Cursor · mcpServers
VS Code · servers
Windsurf · mcpServers
Zed · context_servers
Cline · mcpServers
Roo Code · mcpServers
Continue · mcpServers
LibreChat · mcpServers
Gemini CLI · mcpServers
Codex CLI · mcp_servers
Full setup guides: every client.
02 · Evidence
https://biorxiv.caseyjhand.com/mcp
transport: streamable-http
endpoint alive - responded to MCP initialize · probed 2026-09-30
Security posture
What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.
runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions · remote - your agent's requests go to biorxiv.caseyjhand.com
endpoint auth accepted our unauthenticated MCP initialize - no credentials needed to connect
license no standard license detected - usage rights unclear; check the repo before commercial use
npm package @cyanheads/biorxiv-mcp-server - published under the repo owner's npm scope (@cyanheads)
registry namespace io.github.cyanheads is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner
03 · What Biorxiv MCP Server can do
Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.
What you can build
With this server connected, an agent can fetch full metadata, abstract, revision history, and journal crosswalk for one or more preprints by DOI, list preprints posted or updated within a date interval, with optional server, category, and funder filters, search preprints by keyword and/or author via EuropePMC for relevance ranking, enriched with bioRxiv/medRxiv metadata, and resolve a preprint DOI to its journal publication record (journal DOI, name, published date).
The 6 tools it gives your agent
Extracted from the project's README - what biorxiv-mcp-server lets an agent do.
- biorxiv_get_preprint
- - Fetch full metadata, abstract, revision history, and journal crosswalk for one or more preprints by DOI
- biorxiv_list_recent
- - List preprints posted or updated within a date interval, with optional server, category, and funder filters
- biorxiv_search_preprints
- - Search preprints by keyword and/or author via EuropePMC for relevance ranking, enriched with bioRxiv/medRxiv metadata
- biorxiv_get_published_version
- - Resolve a preprint DOI to its journal publication record (journal DOI, name, published date)
- biorxiv_get_fulltext
- - Retrieve a preprint's full text as best-effort Markdown extracted from its rendered HTML article page
- biorxiv_list_categories
- - List valid subject category strings for bioRxiv and medRxiv
Latest releases
v0.3.0 · 2026-09-23
Abstract toggle, funder filter and awards, cleaner upstream text · awards: string[] replaces funder on biorxiv_get_preprint, biorxiv_list_recent, and biorxiv_search_preprints - upstream funder names and ROR ids are…
v0.2.8 · 2026-09-22
EuropePMC retries, DOI/category input handling · EuropePmcService retries an HTTP 200 body with no result list instead of reading it as zero matches; biorxiv_search_preprints reports a cursor page past the last match…
v0.2.7 · 2026-09-19
mcp-ts-core 0.13.5, date-key aliases, stateless HTTP default · inputAliases lets biorxiv_list_recent accept date_from/date_to and biorxiv_search_preprints accept start_date/end_date · Tool-argument rejections and error…
04 · Who maintains Biorxiv MCP Server
biorxiv-mcp-server is maintained by cyanheads. We track 137 MCP servers from cyanheads - 131 actively maintained, 1,856 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Dec 2024. Full record: all servers from cyanheads.
- obsidian-mcp-server Read, write, search, and surgically edit Obsidian notes, tags, and frontmatter via MCP. ★ 690
- mcp-ts-core Agent-native TypeScript framework for MCP servers. ★ 152
- git-mcp-server Comprehensive Git MCP server enabling native git tools including clone, commit, worktree, & more. ★ 240
- clinicaltrialsgov-mcp-server Search ClinicalTrials.gov - find studies, retrieve results, match patients to eligible trials. ★ 96
- openalex-mcp-server Access the OpenAlex academic research catalog - 270M+ publications. ★ 14
- mcp-ts-template TypeScript template for building MCP servers with declarative tooling, observability, and auth. ★ 152
05 · Facts
- repository
- github.com/cyanheads/biorxiv-mcp-server
- category
- other - ranked #224 of 998 actively-maintained other servers as of 2026-09-30.
- release cadence
- 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-09-23)
- registry
- io.github.cyanheads/biorxiv-mcp-server (active, first published 2026-05-23 · 24 versions)
- packages
- npm:@cyanheads/biorxiv-mcp-server · npm:@cyanheads/biorxiv-mcp-server
06 · Biorxiv MCP Server FAQ
Is Biorxiv MCP Server still maintained?
Yes - as of 2026-09-30, its last commit was 2026-09-23 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.
What can Biorxiv MCP Server do?
With this server connected, an agent can fetch full metadata, abstract, revision history, and journal crosswalk for one or more preprints by DOI, list preprints posted or updated within a date interval, with optional server, category, and funder filters, search preprints by keyword and/or author via EuropePMC for relevance ranking, enriched with bioRxiv/medRxiv metadata, and resolve a preprint DOI to its journal publication record (journal DOI, name, published date).
How do I install Biorxiv MCP Server?
Run `npx -y @cyanheads/biorxiv-mcp-server`. The README documents 3 environment variables (MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, BIORXIV_MAILTO) to set first. Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL before connecting. BIORXIV_MAILTO is optional or environment-specific per the README. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.
Does Biorxiv MCP Server require authentication?
No - the endpoint accepted our unauthenticated MCP initialize when probed on 2026-09-30; you can connect without credentials.
07 · Alternatives to Biorxiv MCP Server
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