---
title: IgBLAST quickstart
description: Assign the germline V gene and read the annotation with IgBLAST in a few steps.
tags:
  - igblast
  - quickstart
---

You have an antibody amino-acid sequence and you want its germline **V** gene and how far it has hypermutated. [IgBLAST](/docs/igblast) does it from sequence alone: paste the sequence, pick the organism, submit, and read the germline hits off the result card. ⊘ **V only, protein only** on this platform — D and J genes are not assigned and the CDR3 is not named; for those see [ANARCI](/docs/anarci).

## Annotate a sequence

### Provide a sequence

Paste an antibody variable-region **amino-acid** sequence, or name a known therapeutic and let the platform resolve the VH/VL from Thera-SAbDab. Submit one antibody name per call; for a panel, make separate parallel calls. ⊘ A nucleotide sequence is refused — the nucleotide germline databases are not installed.

### Set the organism

Keep `human` for most therapeutic work, or choose `mouse`, `rat`, or `rabbit` so IgBLAST aligns against the right germline database. Keep the default IMGT domain system unless you need Kabat.

### Submit and wait

IgBLAST runs as an asynchronous CPU job on Modal. Submit it, and a result card appears on the canvas when the job finishes — typically within seconds to a minute.

### Read the annotation

The card shows the top V gene and its percent identity to germline, the ranked V-gene hits, the chain type, and the framework mutation count. D and J genes, the CDR3 and productivity are reported as not determined, with the reason.

## In chat

Describe the sequence and the annotation you want — the model routes to IgBLAST and chains onward when your prompt asks for humanness or numbering.

**Try this prompt** — [open in a guest chat](/chat/new?guest=true&prompt=Run%20IgBLAST%20on%20the%20adalimumab%20heavy-chain%20amino-acid%20sequence%20to%20assign%20its%20germline%20V%20gene%20and%20count%20its%20framework%20mutations%2C%20then%20score%20joint%20VH%2FVL%20humanness%20with%20Humatch%20%E2%80%94%20does%20the%20fully%20human%20antibody%20score%20above%20therapeutic%20threshold%3F).

> Run IgBLAST on the adalimumab heavy-chain amino-acid sequence to assign its germline V gene and count its framework mutations, then score joint VH/VL humanness with Humatch — does the fully human antibody score above therapeutic threshold?

## What to do next

- **Score humanness** — feed the sequence into [Humatch](/docs/humatch) or [BioPhi](/docs/biophi).
- **Number it to a scheme** — run [ANARCI](/docs/anarci) for IMGT/Kabat/Chothia numbering.
- **Check manufacturability** — run [antibody developability](/docs/antibody-developability).

## Read next