Biological knowledge: query curated assertions and reference databases for genes, variants, pathways, regulation, cell types, reference atlases, perturbation-derived relationships, phenotypes, therapeutic targets, drugs, interactions, annotations, signatures, compounds, and predicted structures. Use for identifiers, marker sets, gene sets, associations, ontologies, database facts, and cross-database coverage.
Experimental data: discover and acquire raw or near-raw measurements, sample-level observations, and reusable datasets from sequencing, transcriptomics, single-cell, perturbation, proteomics, metabolomics, genomics, and structural-biology repositories. Use for study or sample metadata, matrices, reads, spectra, experimental structures, and downloadable research artifacts—not curated database assertions or reference marker collections.
Literature: retrieve document-level scientific evidence from publications, clinical-trial registries, and patent sources. Use for PubMed records, reproducible searches, trial registrations, patent evidence, abstracts, study metadata, stable identifiers, and citation provenance.
Parse and analyze multiple sequence alignments using Biopython. Extract sequences, identify conserved regions, analyze gaps, work with annotations, and manipulate alignment data for downstream analysis. Use when parsing or manipulating multiple sequence alignments.
Calculate alignment statistics including sequence identity, conservation scores, substitution matrices, and similarity metrics. Use when comparing alignment quality, measuring sequence divergence, and analyzing evolutionary patterns.
Perform multiple sequence alignment using MAFFT, MUSCLE5, ClustalOmega, or T-Coffee. Guides tool and algorithm selection based on dataset size, sequence divergence, and downstream application. Use when aligning three or more homologous sequences for phylogenetics, conservation analysis, or evolutionary studies.
Perform pairwise sequence alignment using Biopython Bio.Align.PairwiseAligner. Use when comparing two sequences, finding optimal alignments, scoring similarity, and identifying local or global matches between DNA, RNA, or protein sequences.
Align protein structures using Foldseek 3Di, TM-align, US-align, DALI, or Foldmason for structural MSA. Predict, score, and superpose backbone coordinates when sequence identity is below the twilight zone or remote-homology detection is required. Use when sequence MSA fails (<25% identity), when the dark proteome is the target, when AlphaFoldDB / ESM Atlas search is needed, or when structural superposition is the goal.