Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about saving 20+ hours per week on literature review and getting grant-ready results in minutes.

What can Motif do for my research?

Motif turns months of literature review into minutes of discovery. You ask a research question in plain English, and Motif reads thousands of papers simultaneously, extracts biomarker-disease-drug relationships, cross-references findings against 29+ clinical databases, and delivers structured, citable answers. Instead of spending months reading papers and manually compiling spreadsheets, you get organized results with confidence scores and citations in about 6 minutes.

How do I know Motif's results are accurate?

Every biomarker Motif finds is automatically cross-referenced against 29+ trusted databases including CIViC, ClinVar, PharmGKB, gnomAD, Reactome, and FDA sources. Each result includes confidence scores, the number of supporting publications, and direct links to the original research. You can verify any finding yourself: We show you exactly where each result comes from.

How much time will I actually save?

Most queries complete in about 6 minutes. Researchers report saving 20+ hours per research question compared to manual PubMed searches. What typically takes weeks or months of reading papers, cross-referencing databases, and compiling notes happens automatically while you watch results stream in.

What do I get when I ask Motif a question?

You get four things: (1) Structured biomarker data—organized lists of biomarker-disease-drug relationships with citations, (2) A visual knowledge graph showing connections you'd never find in a spreadsheet, (3) AI-powered Q&A so you can ask follow-up questions in plain English, and (4) Export-ready documentation including PDF reports, Excel data, and slides with full citations.

Can I trust Motif's findings for grant applications?

Yes. Motif generates grant-ready documentation with proper citations in standard formats (APA, Vancouver, etc.). Every finding includes evidence tables, literature reviews, and methodology descriptions. All exports are designed to go directly into grant proposals, publications, or research reports.

Can Motif help me write my grant proposal?

Yes. Motif provides grant-ready language you can use directly in proposals. You get executive summaries, comprehensive literature reviews, evidence tables, and methodology descriptions, all with proper citations. Many researchers use Motif to quickly build the background and significance sections of their grants.

How do I cite Motif results in my papers?

Every biomarker result in Motif includes direct citations to the original research papers with PMIDs. You can export these citations in standard formats (APA, Vancouver, etc.) and use them directly in your publications. Motif doesn't generate new claims. It organizes and cross-references existing research, so you cite the original sources, not Motif.

What if I find something Motif missed?

Motif searches 29+ databases and millions of papers, but no tool catches everything. If you find relevant research Motif missed, you can add it to your results and include it in your exports. Motif is designed to accelerate your research, not replace your expertise. Your domain knowledge combined with Motif's speed gives you the best results.

How do I get started?

Simply type your research question in plain English, like "Find biomarkers that predict resistance to EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer" or "What mutations are associated with immunotherapy response in melanoma?" Watch results stream in real-time, explore the knowledge graph, ask follow-ups, and export your findings. Join the waitlist for early access.

How does Motif compare to manual PubMed searches?

Manual PubMed searches require weeks to months of reading individual papers, manually cross-referencing findings, and compiling results into spreadsheets. Motif does all of this automatically: it searches PubMed plus 28 additional databases simultaneously, extracts relevant biomarker information, cross-references across clinical and genomic sources, and delivers ranked results with confidence scores, all in about 6 minutes.

What types of biomarker research does Motif support?

Motif supports biomarker discovery across diseases and beyond. For disease research, Motif covers all areas in 29+ integrated databases: oncology, cardiovascular, neurological, autoimmune, metabolic, infectious, and rare diseases. Motif also supports non-disease biomarker research, including associations with phenotypes, biological processes, aging, and other research contexts. Whether you're studying disease biomarkers or exploring biomarkers for cellular senescence, Motif handles it.

Can Motif help me find drug resistance biomarkers?

Yes, this is one of Motif's strengths. Motif specifically searches for resistance mechanisms including genetic mutations (e.g., EGFR T790M for erlotinib resistance), expression changes, and pathway alterations. Results include clinical context on resistance prevalence, alternative therapies, and combination strategies to overcome resistance, all cross-referenced against CIViC, DGIdb, and PharmGKB.

What makes Motif different from single-database tools like cBioPortal?

Single-database tools focus on one data source. Motif searches 29+ databases simultaneously, cross-references findings across clinical, genomic, pathway, and regulatory sources, covers all disease areas (not just oncology), and lets you ask questions in plain English instead of requiring specific gene or variant lookups. Think of Motif as your research assistant that uses all these databases as part of its toolkit.

How does Motif score evidence?

Motif provides confidence scores rather than predictions. Every biomarker result includes: the number of supporting publications, clinical status from databases like CIViC and ClinVar, and direct links to source evidence. The system clearly distinguishes between well-established clinical biomarkers, emerging research candidates, and theoretical associations, so you can make informed decisions based on evidence strength.

Does Motif work for rare diseases?

Yes, Motif is particularly valuable for rare disease research where literature is scattered. Motif searches specialized databases including Orphanet and OMIM alongside mainstream sources. For ultra-rare conditions, Motif can identify related pathway biomarkers, analogous mechanisms in similar diseases, and potential repurposing candidates often surfacing connections that manual searches would miss.

What if research findings conflict with each other?

Scientific literature often contains contradictory findings. Motif presents all perspectives with their supporting evidence, weights results by study quality and recency, highlights consensus vs. contested claims, and shows how understanding has evolved over time. This transparency helps you navigate controversies and form evidence-based conclusions.

Is Motif ready for enterprise teams?

Yes. Motif includes enterprise features like team collaboration, HIPAA-aligned security controls, and professional export formats. Whether you're a solo researcher or part of a large pharma team, Motif scales to your needs.

Still have questions?

Get in touch with our team and we'll help you get started with Motif.