pilus
Your biological research, connected.
Take notes at scientific conferences. Link genes, articles, organisms and ideas. Pilus builds a knowledge graph that grows with your understanding.
Free to use · No credit card · Works in your browser
How It Works
From conference insight to connected knowledge in three steps
Capture
Take notes during a conference talk, import a PubMed article, or add a gene from NCBI. Each becomes a structured card.
Connect
Link a speaker to their paper, a gene to its organism, an article to a biological process. 15 relation types capture real scientific meaning.
Discover
Your knowledge graph reveals hidden connections. Smart suggestions find links you missed. See your research as a living network.
6 Scientific Card Types
Genes, organisms, articles, researchers, conferences and biological processes — all connected
Conferences
Document talks, posters and scientific meetings. Capture insights as they happen, link speakers to their research.
Genes
Import from NCBI Gene with symbol, chromosome, function, aliases and UniProt protein data.
Articles
Import from PubMed with DOI, abstract, authors. Build citation networks automatically.
Organisms
Search NCBI Taxonomy (~2.5M species). 20 model organisms as favorites. Track taxonomy, lineage, domain.
Researchers
Track authors, affiliations, collaborations and co-author networks.
Processes
Map metabolic pathways, signaling cascades and biological mechanisms.
15 Causal Relations
Connect your knowledge with scientifically meaningful links
Every relation is bidirectional — each pair (e.g. found_in / hosts) is navigable from both sides
Interactive Knowledge Graph
See your research as a living, connected network
Force-Directed Layout
Nodes colored by type, sized by connections. Zoom, pan, and highlight paths.
Immersive 3D View
Three.js rendering with orbital rotation, fog, ambient particles and fly-to animations.
Smart Suggestions
7 inference rules: transitive, same organism, co-authors, same journal, same affiliation and more.
Graph Analytics
Louvain clustering, bridge nodes, degree centrality, shortest path, connected components.
Auto Import
Connect to scientific databases
Articles with DOI, abstract, authors
Symbol, chromosome, function, aliases
~2.5M species, lineage, taxonomy
Proteins, sequences, annotations
DOI resolution and article metadata
Export
You can export your data at any time.
Why the Name "Pilus"?
A name rooted in microbiology
In microbiology, a pilus (plural: pili) is a hair-like appendage found on the surface of bacteria. First described by electron microscopy in the 1950s, pili play a critical role in bacterial conjugation — the process by which bacteria transfer genetic material (DNA) from one cell to another through direct contact.
This biological structure is the perfect metaphor for our app: just as bacterial pili create physical bridges between cells to share knowledge encoded in DNA, Pilus the app creates digital bridges between scientific entities to connect and transfer knowledge across your research.
Bacterial Conjugation
Pili enable horizontal gene transfer — sharing DNA between organisms, a fundamental mechanism of evolution and antibiotic resistance.
Knowledge Transfer
Like their biological namesake, Pilus connects genes, articles, organisms, researchers, and processes — transferring insights across your scientific network.
Built for Life Science Researchers
From PhD students to principal investigators
PhD Students
Keep your thesis research organized. Connect papers, genes, and conference notes in a single interconnected workspace.
Postdocs
Track collaborators, manage literature, and build your research network as you establish your independent career.
PIs & Lab Heads
Oversee research projects, connect findings across lab members, and prepare grant applications with linked references.
Conference Attendees
Document talks in real time, link presenters to their publications, and never lose a conference insight again.
Stop losing connections between your ideas
Your next conference insight, paper, or gene discovery deserves to be connected to everything you already know.
Get Started — FreeNo sign-up wall · Start in 30 seconds
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Pilus
What is Pilus?
Pilus is a free web app for biological science researchers. It lets you take notes at conferences, import articles from PubMed, track genes from NCBI, and link everything together in an interactive knowledge graph. Think of it as a structured notebook that understands the relationships between your research entities.
Is Pilus free to use?
Yes, Pilus is completely free. You can create unlimited cards, connections, and use all features including PubMed, NCBI Gene, NCBI Taxonomy and UniProt imports at no cost.
How do I take notes during a conference?
Create a Conference card with the event name, dates, and location. Then create linked cards for talks, speakers, and topics discussed. Notes are attached directly to each entity, so your conference insights stay connected to the researchers and science they reference.
Can I import articles from PubMed?
Yes! Simply paste a PubMed URL or PMID, and Pilus will automatically import the article with its title, authors, abstract, DOI, and publication details. You can also resolve any DOI via CrossRef.
How do I connect genes, articles, and conferences?
Each card in Pilus can be linked to other cards through 15 relation types like "studies", "regulates", "presented_at", "authored_by", and more. These connections create your personal knowledge graph — a living network of your research understanding.
What types of cards can I create?
Pilus supports 6 card types: Genes (with NCBI Gene + UniProt import), Organisms (with NCBI Taxonomy search), Articles (with PubMed import), Researchers, Conferences, and Biological Processes. Each type has specialized fields relevant to its domain.
Can I export my data?
Yes, you can export your entire knowledge base at any time in multiple formats: JSON, Markdown, CSV, GraphML, GEXF, and DOT. Your data is always yours.
Why is it called Pilus?
The name comes from microbiology. A pilus (plural: pili) is a hair-like appendage on bacteria that enables conjugation — the transfer of genetic material between cells. Just as biological pili create bridges to share DNA, Pilus the app creates bridges between scientific entities to connect and share knowledge across your research network.