---
title: Platform overview
description: >-
  How the platform fits together in 90 seconds — one request becomes tools, a
  recorded run, and an artifact you can keep.
tags:
  - overview
  - concepts
  - orientation
---

The platform turns a plain-language request into computational biology results. You describe a goal — fold this protein, dock this ligand, profile this compound — and the orchestrator picks the right tools, runs them, and returns a recorded result as an interactive card or export. This page is the 90-second map; the rest of the docs fill it in.

## The shape of a request

Every request follows the same path, whether you type it in Chat, paste a `curl` request, use the CLI, or connect an MCP client. Studio is the project surface for direct control over files and parameters.

 B["Orchestrator<br/>picks tools, chains multi-step workflows"]
    B --> C["Jobs run on Modal compute<br/>queued → running → completed / failed"]
    C --> D["Results render as canvas cards<br/>text → preview → interactive → window"]
    D --> E["Chats group into campaigns; passports aggregate results across tools"]`}
  caption="From a plain-language goal to jobs, canvas cards, campaigns and passports."
/>

The five nouns in that path — **tool**, **job**, **canvas card**, **campaign**, **passport** — are the core vocabulary. [Concept clusters](/docs/concept-clusters) groups them so they fit on one page.

## Same registry, four ways in

Every surface reaches the same .bloom* registry, so pick by how you work. **curl** is the first call: no install, no key, no account. An **API key** needs a free account and adds your own quota and sessions you can resume. **MCP** and the **CLI** need the ivybloom CLI, installed and signed in.

**Chat** runs the same tools from the browser. Once you are signed in, [Studio](/docs/studio) is a project workspace for direct control over files and parameters.

## Choose what to learn first

> **What these docs cover**

> This site documents the **platform** — Chat, curl/API, Studio, CLI, MCP, tools, workflows, and passports — plus the execution model behind each run. If you are deciding between close-cousin concepts (chat vs. studio, tool vs. workflow, job vs. batch), start with [Decisions](/docs/decisions).