About JapanFold
JapanFold is a protein modeling and design skill for AI agents, offering multiple models through its API without requiring a local GPU. It also provides a remote MCP server for compatible clients.
Key features
- 01Protein structure prediction
- 02Ligand co-folding and affinity scoring
- 03Binder design and scoring
- 04Sequence embeddings
- 05Multiple models to choose from
Use cases
- 01Predicting a protein sequence structure
- 02Assessing protein–ligand binding
- 03Designing binders for a target protein
MCP support
JapanFold provides a remote MCP server at https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcp. MCP clients can connect to it to use the protein modeling and design capabilities.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http japanfold-japanfold https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcp{"mcpServers":{"japanfold-japanfold":{"type":"http","url":"https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcp"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"japanfold-japanfold":{"type":"http","url":"https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcp"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"japanfold-japanfold":{"type":"http","url":"https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcp"}}}{"mcpServers":{"japanfold-japanfold":{"serverUrl":"https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcp"}}}Run commands in a terminal; paste JSON into the client’s MCP config and restart. Servers that need sign-in will prompt on first connect.
Tools
Details
From the project READMEJapanFold skill
Fold proteins, co-fold with ligands (+ binding affinity), design binders, and
embed sequences from your AI agent, via the
JapanFold API. Get a key at
japanfold.aiand.com/account/token and set
JAPANFOLD_API_KEY.
No local GPU. Runs Boltz-2 / ESMFold-2 / OpenFold3 /
OpenBind-0 / RoseTTAFold3 / OpenDDE for structures, AF2-IG for scoring a binder you
already designed, BoltzGen / RFdiffusion3 /
PXDesign / RFD4-Proteina for design, and ESMC / SaProt for embeddings, on Tenstorrent.
Agents can call the API directly, no install needed:
export JAPANFOLD_API_KEY=jf_live_... # from japanfold.aiand.com/account/token
curl -s https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/v1/predictions \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $JAPANFOLD_API_KEY" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"model":"esmfold2","sequence":"MKTAYIAKQRQISFVKSHFSRQLEERLGLIEVQ"}'
Base URL https://api.japanfold.aiand.com, key in Authorization: Bearer.
GET /v1/models lists the model ids to send (boltz2, esmfold2, openfold3, ...)
with their size limits. The agent-readable summary is
llms.txt.
It's a single SKILL.md built on the open Agent Skills
standard, so it installs into any compatible harness with one command.
Install
One line installs it everywhere the open standard is supported: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cline, Windsurf, Copilot, Amp and the rest:
npx skills add japanfold/japanfold # this project
npx skills add japanfold/japanfold -g # global: every project / new chat
- Target specific agents:
-a claude-code,-a cursor,-a codex,-a '*'(all). - Prefer not to use the installer? It is one file. Download it unchanged into
your agent's skills directory, for Claude Code:
curl -fsSL --create-dirs -o ~/.claude/skills/japanfold/SKILL.md https://japanfold.aiand.com/skill.md. A web-fetch tool returns only a summary of the page, so an agent should use curl too.
Claude Science manages skills in-app (no installer): Customize → Skills,
add from this repo (or paste SKILL.md) and publish it. Or skip install
entirely: the API is public and self-describing, so just ask:
"use the JapanFold API at api.japanfold.aiand.com to fold …".
Use
Once installed, ask your agent in plain language:
"Fold this sequence with Boltz-2 and report the confidence: MKTAYIAK…" "Design 10 nanobody binders against this target."
Or invoke it explicitly where supported: /japanfold.
MCP
The API is also a remote MCP server at https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcp, listed in the
MCP Registry as
io.github.japanfold/japanfold. claude.ai, Claude Desktop and ChatGPT add it as a connector and
sign in, no key needed. Claude Code:
claude mcp add --transport http japanfold https://api.japanfold.aiand.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer $JAPANFOLD_API_KEY".
To publish a new registry version, bump version in server.json and run
mcp-publisher login github && mcp-publisher publish.
The API
https://api.japanfold.aiand.com: async (submit → poll → download), a key on every call.
Full contract at /v1/openapi.json.
See SKILL.md for endpoints, examples, and limits.
Fast mode is off unless the agent sends "params": {"fast": true}. It gives higher
throughput and may be slightly less accurate. The workbench turns it on for people clicking
through; the API and this skill leave it off so a scripted run gets the accurate path.
ESMFold-2 always runs fast on this hardware, and its job records fast: true.
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.