Everything you need to organize your biological research

From conference notes to gene databases — Pilus connects your scientific knowledge in one interactive graph.

Gene Management

Import from NCBI Gene + UniProt protein enrichment

Create detailed gene cards with automatic import from NCBI Gene. Each gene is automatically enriched with UniProt protein data (sequence, molecular weight, subcellular location, PDB structures, AlphaFold link). Auto-creates organism cards with found_in relations.

  • Auto-import from NCBI Gene by symbol or ID
  • UniProt protein enrichment (sequence, weight, PDB, AlphaFold)
  • Auto-creates organism card + found_in link
  • Duplicate detection via NCBI Gene ID
  • Store chromosome, function, aliases, gene type
  • Link to related articles, processes and other genes

Organisms

NCBI Taxonomy with ~2.5M species

Search and import organisms from NCBI Taxonomy. Browse ~2.5 million species, access 20 model organisms as favorites, and track taxonomy, lineage, domain and scientific names. Link organisms to the genes and processes they host.

  • Search ~2.5M species via NCBI Taxonomy
  • 20 pre-loaded model organisms (E. coli, H. sapiens, D. melanogaster...)
  • Track taxonomy, lineage, domain
  • Link organisms to genes and processes

Scientific Articles

PubMed + CrossRef integration

Import scientific literature from PubMed or resolve any DOI via CrossRef. All metadata including DOI, abstract, authors, and publication details are automatically extracted. Supports structured multi-section abstracts.

  • One-click PubMed import via URL or PMID
  • CrossRef DOI resolution for any article
  • Author linking: tap an author to create/link researcher cards
  • Structured multi-section abstracts support
  • Duplicate detection via DOI or PMID
  • Build citation networks with cites relations

Researcher Profiles

Track collaborations and affiliations

Create profiles for researchers and scientists. Track their affiliations, research interests, and build collaboration networks to understand who works with whom.

  • Store affiliations and institutions
  • Track research interests and expertise
  • Visualize collaboration networks
  • Link to authored publications

Conference Notes

Document scientific meetings

Keep track of scientific conferences, symposiums, and meetings. Document talks, posters, and key takeaways while linking them to relevant research.

  • Record talks and poster presentations
  • Store conference dates and locations
  • Link to presenters and topics
  • Build a conference history database

Biological Processes

Map pathways and mechanisms

Document biological processes, metabolic pathways, signaling cascades, and molecular mechanisms. Connect processes to the genes and proteins involved.

  • Map metabolic pathways
  • Document signaling cascades
  • Link to involved genes and proteins
  • Track regulatory mechanisms

Knowledge Graph

Visualize connections in 2D and 3D

See your entire research knowledge as an interactive network graph. Choose between a 2D force-directed layout or an immersive 3D view with Three.js. Tap-to-focus, fly-to animations, orbital inertia, ambient particles, and dynamic fog.

  • Interactive 2D and immersive 3D visualization (Three.js)
  • 15 causal relation types (found_in, regulates, authored_by, cites...)
  • Tap-to-focus, fly-to, orbital inertia, ambient particles
  • Nodes colored by type, sized by connections

Graph Analytics

8 algorithms to analyze your knowledge

Go beyond visualization with built-in graph analytics. Discover research clusters with Louvain community detection, find critical bridge nodes, calculate degree centrality, detect isolated entities, and compute shortest paths between any two nodes.

  • Community detection (Louvain clustering)
  • Bridge nodes and hub detection
  • Degree centrality and shortest path (BFS)
  • Connected components and global statistics

Smart Suggestions

AI-powered connection inference

Pilus automatically analyzes your graph to suggest new connections you hadn't seen. 7 inference rules detect co-authors, shared organisms, same journal, same affiliation, and more. Each suggestion includes a weighted relevance score and human-readable explanation.

  • Transitive inference (researcher → article → gene)
  • Same organism, affiliation, journal, year detection
  • Co-author discovery via transitive analysis
  • Weighted scores with human-readable reasons

Productivity Features

Inline creation, favorites & more

Create any card type directly from the link picker without leaving your workflow. Star important cards as favorites, filter by type with scrollable chips, and benefit from duplicate detection that alerts you when a card with the same NCBI ID, DOI, or PMID already exists.

  • Inline creation from the link picker
  • Favorites and type-based filtering
  • Duplicate detection (NCBI ID, DOI, PMID)
  • Auto-organism creation from gene import

Perfect for every research workflow

Literature Review

Organize hundreds of papers and see how they connect

PhD Research

Keep your thesis research organized and interconnected

Lab Management

Track projects, collaborators, and publications

Grant Writing

Quick access to references and research connections

Start organizing your research today

Conferences, articles, and discussions generate ideas. Pilus connects them before you forget.

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