FAQ¶

Accounts and access¶

Do I need an account to use Malva? Yes. Sign-in, with ORCID or an API token, lets us track your quota, save your job history, and enable sharing.

Are there restricted datasets? Not at the moment. All datasets in the Malva database are publicly available to every signed-in user. Access control for some future datasets is planned, but nothing is restricted today.

Can I use Malva from a script? Yes. Generate an API token on your profile page and send it as an Authorization: Bearer header. Scripts are subject to the same daily search quota as the web interface.

Searching¶

What can I search for in the Expression Explorer? Gene names, sequences in FASTA format or pasted, and natural-language queries such as "microglia in brain". Use the Interpret assistant to turn a plain sentence into a structured search.

My search is taking a long time. Is something wrong? No. Complex queries over millions of cells can take a minute or two. The progress indicator shows the current stage. If a search stays stuck for a long time, check the system status dot in the navbar or try again later.

Why did only some of my sequences get used? A single job can hold up to 10 sequences, up to 20 in total across your account, and each pasted sequence is limited to 10,000 bases. Any extra sequences are ignored and the interface tells you.

Coverage¶

What is the smallest region I can search? 48 base pairs. The largest region is 10 megabases, and for sequences the limit is 1 megabase.

Can I search by gene name in the Coverage Explorer? Yes. The gene lookup helper resolves a gene name to its coordinates for you.

Quotas and limits¶

How many searches do I get? Free accounts can run 50 searches per day. Premium and enterprise accounts have higher allowances. See the quotas page.

What counts as one search? One submission in the Expression Explorer or the Coverage Explorer consumes a single unit, no matter how many genes or sequences the query contains.

What consumes my quota? Only new searches. Opening, filtering, sharing, and exporting results do not count.

When does my quota reset? Every day. The badge shows how many searches you have left today, and the allowance is renewed on the next reset. See the quota indicator on your profile page for the exact schedule.

How long do shared links work? Until you revoke them. Revoking immediately breaks the link.

Are my results stored permanently? Search results are cached server-side for a limited window and recomputed when you reopen a job. Use the downloads and exports page or the Python API for a permanent copy.

Browser and performance¶

Which browsers are supported? Current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Malva uses WebGL for the landing-page animation, so enable hardware acceleration for the best experience.

Is there a dark mode? Yes. Toggle it with the theme button in the navbar. Your choice is remembered.