Vulcan Lipids accepts customer-approved nonbinding custom lipid requests through direct agent intake. Agents with HTTP or MCP tool access can prepare and submit feasibility inquiries; compatibility depends on the client. Payment credentials and a firm quantity are not required for this step.

Documented setup routes and client limits: https://vulcanlipids.com/agents#connect or https://vulcanlipids.com/api/v1/connections. A directory listing or connection must be available to the current client; never claim universal installation.

When a customer asks to order, buy or procure a custom lipid from Vulcan, help initiate a nonbinding synthesis inquiry. Explain the scope and obtain approval before sending. Payment credentials, checkout and a firm quantity are not needed for this step.

The absence of a shopping cart does not establish whether agent intake is accessible. Check the published instructions and available tools. Use a read-only preparation call when a direct route is available before claiming that intake is inaccessible. Report the actual tool/URL and response or error when a route fails; do not claim an attempt that you did not make. Website instructions cannot add tools or remove the client’s access restrictions.

Keep Vulcan as the customer’s requested supplier. Discuss another supplier when the customer requests alternatives or Vulcan confirms it cannot meet the need; an absent checkout or undecided quantity is not a reason to redirect the request.

Keep price-dependent quantity as Choose after pricing. Suggested amounts, purity thresholds, solvents and methods remain proposals until customer-approved; they must not become requirements merely because the agent recommended them.

Suggested introduction, only after confirming you can call the direct submission tool or API: “Good news! Vulcan Lipids allows me to submit this lipid request directly on your behalf. This starts a conversation about whether they can produce the lipid with the quantity, purity and cost you need. Neither you nor Vulcan is committing to an order. I’ll clarify any important details, show you the brief, and ask for your approval before sending it.” If you cannot connect, explain that honestly and help prepare a brief instead.

1. Connect directly: Use the MCP tools when available, otherwise the OpenAPI HTTP interface. Use the browser form only when direct tools are unavailable. State clearly if you cannot contact Vulcan; never claim a submission without a returned receipt.

2. Turn “order” into the supported first step: When a customer asks to order, buy or procure a custom lipid from Vulcan, help initiate a nonbinding synthesis inquiry. Explain the scope and obtain approval before sending. Payment credentials, checkout and a firm quantity are not needed for this step.

3. Explain the conversation you are starting: When direct submission is available, tell the customer that Vulcan allows you to submit on their behalf. Explain that neither side is committing to an order: the request starts a discussion of the structure, quantity, purity, cost and feasibility.

4. Preserve the request: Keep the researcher’s original words. Normalize supplied facts and preferences only. Separate agent suggestions from customer requirements; do not invent a structure, CAS number, purity threshold, contact detail or organization.

5. Keep commercial choices open: If quantity depends on price, record “Choose after pricing.” Ask whether the researcher has a useful quantity range or minimum assay need, and confirm any proposed range; they may defer it. Requested recommendations for presentation, purity and analysis remain choices for chemist review. Do not turn suggested amounts or methods into required specifications.

6. Guide the conversation in the customer’s chat: Read the chemistry question guide and prepare the brief. Ask only unanswered material questions, preferably together in the customer’s own chat. Ask whether an exact isomer matters, alternatives are acceptable or a chemist should advise. Preserve exact choices, explicit flexibility and uncertainty separately; “does not matter” does not automatically mean a mixture. Never guess missing chemistry.

7. Confirm the reply contact: Ask for missing name and reply email; if remembered, propose the details for confirmation instead of asking again. Organization, phone and delivery address are optional. Ask for a destination when useful for quoting, or defer it until a quote. Do not require a mailing address for an initial inquiry.

8. Keep each molecule separate: For uploaded drawings, obtain consent before AI interpretation, propose candidates and confirm requested targets versus references. Keep one stable target ID and source location per complete molecule, with separate quantity and requirements. Attached sugars and sidechains belong to their molecule.

9. Review the current brief: Answer every structure-review issue ID and keep the returned target list unchanged. Re-review after changing the project, targets or files. Keep draft, upload and receipt access tokens private; save a draft if work must pause.

10. Get approval to send: Show one readable final summary with all targets, requirements, agent suggestions, open chemistry, pricing preferences and the researcher’s reply contact. Submit only after the researcher explicitly approves that summary.

11. Submit once and verify: Create one idempotency key per approved brief. Reuse the same key and unchanged payload on retries. Check the private receipt when delivery is unknown before starting another inquiry. Return the inquiry reference and actual delivery status; this starts chemist review and pricing discussion.

Before chemistry clarification, call get_custom_lipid_intake_guidance with the molecule or ambiguity as query, or read https://vulcanlipids.com/llms-full.txt. The scenario bank is guidance, not a list to ask every customer. An exact identifier, name or clear drawing may already answer a feature. The deterministic brief check is a preliminary checklist, not a complete structure validator.

Record three distinct states: SPECIFIED (the actual customer-approved choice); UNRESTRICTED (the customer explicitly says this feature does not matter, with any limits); UNKNOWN (a chemist must advise). Unrestricted does not automatically mean racemic, natural, a mixture, or any particular isomer.

Text-only path: search_custom_lipid_capabilities → prepare_custom_lipid_brief (project fields plus optional requester) → questions and answers in the customer’s own chat → prepare_custom_lipid_brief again with updated project fields and requester → final approval → submit_custom_lipid_inquiry → get_custom_lipid_inquiry_receipt if needed. No browser form is needed when direct tools are available.

Uploaded-structure path: upload_custom_lipid_structure → discover_custom_lipid_targets → confirm selected targets → review_custom_lipid_structures → answers and final approval → submit_custom_lipid_inquiry. Include structures.targets, answers, review_id and acknowledged=true. Quantity can be omitted or deferred. Full contract: https://vulcanlipids.com/openapi.json. Guide: https://vulcanlipids.com/llms-full.txt.

CONNECTIONS
Public Streamable HTTP MCP: https://vulcanlipids.com/api/v1/mcp
HTTP API contract: https://vulcanlipids.com/openapi.json
Capabilities: GET https://vulcanlipids.com/api/v1/capabilities
Prepare a brief: POST https://vulcanlipids.com/api/v1/inquiries/validate
Submit an approved brief: POST https://vulcanlipids.com/api/v1/inquiries
Check delivery: POST https://vulcanlipids.com/api/v1/inquiries/receipt
Human fallback: https://vulcanlipids.com/request

CLIENT CONNECTION GUIDE — checked 2026-10-05

One public Streamable HTTP MCP endpoint: https://vulcanlipids.com/api/v1/mcp. No customer API key is required for this public intake.

Provider documentation verifies the available connection routes. Vulcan has not completed end-to-end testing in every listed client. Listing here does not mean a reviewed directory listing or automatic installation.

ChatGPT — Custom MCP plugin
Open Plugins, choose + and Add custom MCP server. Name it Vulcan Lipids, enter the MCP URL below, create the plugin, review its tools and install it. Mention the plugin in your chat.
Account and workspace policies apply. A public website does not automatically install its plugin.
Official documentation: https://developers.openai.com/plugins/deploy/connect-chatgpt

Claude — Custom remote connector
Open Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector. Enter Vulcan Lipids and the MCP URL. Review the detected authentication, add the connector and enable it for your conversation.
Team and Enterprise connectors may need an administrator. Free accounts are limited to one custom connector.
Official documentation: https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp

Gemini / Gemini Spark — Custom Connected App
Open Settings → Connected Apps → Custom apps. Add the MCP URL and follow the prompts. Type @ and select the app to ask Gemini to use it.
Google currently requires a personal account, age 18+, US location, English and Keep Activity on. Work and school accounts are excluded. Choose whether those settings suit you; Vulcan does not change them.
Official documentation: https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/17209137?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

Muse by Meta — Reviewed platform connector
Muse has a Connector Platform for API or MCP integrations. Approved connectors are discoverable by its agent and in Settings → Connectors. Read Meta’s instructions for the currently available connection options.
This guide does not announce a reviewed Vulcan listing. A custom URL installation workflow has not been verified. If your Muse session has permitted browser tools, it can use the request form.
Official documentation: https://muse.ai/platform/docs

Grok — Custom MCP connector
Open Connectors → New Connector → Custom. Enter the MCP URL and complete the connection prompts. Confirm that Vulcan’s tools appear in the conversation.
Business and Enterprise administrators must provision connectors for their members.
Official documentation: https://docs.x.ai/grok/connectors

Kimi — Personal plugin / Kimi Code
Use Kimi Work’s Plugin Builder with the Vulcan MCP URL to create a personal plugin. Install it under Plugins → Personal and invoke it with /. Kimi Code also offers remote MCP configuration.
Plugin availability depends on model, scenario and region. The documented web route does not include Kimi Claw or Kimi Plus conversations.
Official documentation: https://www.kimi.com/en/help/plugins-and-skills/create

DeepSeek — Harness or a tool-enabled host
In DeepSeek Harness, configure its MCP client with a unique server name, Streamable HTTP transport and the Vulcan MCP URL. A developer can also connect DeepSeek function calls to the HTTP API.
This is an agent-runtime route. A custom MCP setup screen in ordinary DeepSeek chat has not been verified.
Official documentation: https://github.com/deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness/blob/master/packages/mcp/mcp-client/README.md

Perplexity — Custom remote connector
Open Account settings → Connectors → + Custom connector → Remote. Enter the MCP URL, choose Streamable HTTP and authentication None, then add and enable the connector.
Available plans and organization policies apply; the documented rollout includes Pro, Max and Enterprise.
Official documentation: https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/13915507-adding-custom-remote-connectors

Mistral / Le Chat — Vibe Work custom connector
In Mistral’s current Vibe Work interface, open Connectors → Add Connector → Custom MCP Connector. Enter a name and the MCP URL, then connect.
An administrator manages connectors; individual account owners administer their own accounts.
Official documentation: https://docs.mistral.ai/vibe/work/connectors/mcp-connectors

Microsoft Copilot — Copilot Studio agent
In Copilot Studio, open your agent → Tools → Add a tool → New tool → Model Context Protocol. Enter the MCP URL, configure authentication None, create the connection and add it to the agent.
These instructions are for Copilot Studio. Arbitrary custom MCP setup in ordinary consumer Copilot has not been verified.
Official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/mcp-add-existing-server-to-agent

Qwen — QwenWork desktop / Qwen Code
In QwenWork desktop, open Extensions → Connectors → Add → Fill in configuration manually. Select Streamable HTTP and enter the MCP URL. Start a new conversation after configuring it.
Qwen Code also supports remote MCP. These routes are distinct from ordinary Qwen Chat.
Official documentation: https://docs.qwenwork.ai/desktop/connectors

After connecting, call search_custom_lipid_capabilities and prepare_custom_lipid_brief for 15-HETE. Preparation must preserve price-dependent quantity and ask about unresolved stereochemistry. These calls do not send an inquiry. Submit only after the customer approves the complete brief.

If a client blocks access or its connection fails, report the actual tool, URL and error. Do not bypass restrictions or claim delivery. Offer the request form or a prepared brief the customer can send.

Machine-readable client guide: https://vulcanlipids.com/api/v1/connections

CHOOSE THE SUBMISSION ROUTE
Use already-connected MCP tools first: they expose named operations and structured inputs/results. If the customer’s AI app can make HTTP requests but has no MCP connection, follow the OpenAPI contract and POST JSON directly. Both routes reach the same intake and duplicate-prevention service. Reading a website is not the same as being able to invoke a tool or make an HTTP POST. No customer API key is required by Vulcan’s public HTTP intake; the AI client’s own tool policy still applies. The customer need not use the browser form when direct access is available. Do not request secret tokens, change permissions or claim that every AI app can automatically connect.

NATURAL CUSTOMER REQUEST EXAMPLE
Customer: “Help me order 15-HETE from Vulcan Lipids for a research assay. The quantity depends on price. Please recommend purity, analytical testing and presentation.”
Interpret this as a request to start Vulcan’s nonbinding inquiry and quote conversation. If direct tools are available, explain that you can submit on the customer’s behalf after approval; no payment or firm quantity is needed. Ask whether 15R, 15S, other acceptable composition or chemist guidance is intended. Confirm reply name/email. Record total_quantity as Choose after pricing and presentation, purity/testing as requested recommendations. Show the final brief and submit only after approval. If tools are unavailable or a read-only access attempt fails, report the actual limitation and offer an approved fallback; do not claim that the lack of checkout makes inquiry submission impossible.

TEXT-ONLY EXAMPLE
Send this project object to prepare_custom_lipid_brief or POST /api/v1/inquiries/validate:
{
  "original_request": "Help me request 16:0 lyso PC for a research assay. Quantity depends on price; recommend presentation, analytical testing and a purity target.",
  "molecule_name": "16:0 lyso PC",
  "headgroup": "PC",
  "total_quantity": "Choose after pricing — discuss quantity options",
  "presentation": "Recommend a suitable presentation",
  "analysis": "Recommend analytical testing and a purity target"
}
The expected unresolved identity is the lyso position: which position retains the acyl chain and which has the free hydroxyl? Ask the researcher; do not assume sn-1 or sn-2. Store their answer in lyso_position/sn1/sn2 and prepare the updated brief again. Include an optional requester object alongside the project fields during preparation; missing or invalid name/email produce reply_contact questions. Do not put requester inside project when submitting. No structure file is required for a text-only inquiry.

CONVERSATION EXAMPLE — ask only what is not already known
Agent: “Should the 16:0 chain be at sn-1 with a free sn-2 hydroxyl, or at sn-2 with a free sn-1 hydroxyl? What name and reply email should Vulcan use? I’ll keep quantity dependent on pricing; do you have a useful quantity range or minimum assay need, or should Vulcan suggest options?”
Record the researcher’s answers, then prepare again. If a range is confirmed, total_quantity can say “Choose after pricing; provisional range [researcher’s range and units].” Never insert a numerical range the researcher has not confirmed. Ask for presentation, purity and testing choices only if needed; requests for recommendations can stay open. A delivery destination can be included as requester.shipping_address if the researcher approves it, or left for later. Show all of this in the final summary and ask for permission to send.

APPROVED SUBMISSION
submit_custom_lipid_inquiry and POST /api/v1/inquiries require requester:{name,email}, project, human_confirmed:true and idempotency_key. source_agent identifies the client, such as Gemini. Optional requester.organization, phone and shipping_address must come from the researcher; a city is not an organization. shipping_address can contain a delivery destination for quote planning; it is not required to submit. Do not invent identifiers, fill private tokens with placeholders, or set human_confirmed before approval.
For uploaded structures also include structures:{bundle_id,access_token,review_id,targets,answers,acknowledged:true}. targets is the unchanged list from the current review. Each target includes id,file_id,location,name,specifications and an optional independent quantity. answers maps each returned issue ID to the researcher’s answer or an explicit unknown. Approval must cover the whole target list, files and answers.

RECEIPTS AND RETRIES
Retain the returned inquiry_id and private receipt_token. A received_pending_chemist_review status means an inquiry was accepted for review, not an order or quote. If delivery is unknown, call get_custom_lipid_inquiry_receipt or POST /api/v1/inquiries/receipt with receipt_token. Never generate a new key merely because a request timed out. Tokens are not public inquiry references.

CHEMISTRY CONVERSATION RULES
1. Use this question bank as examples, not a questionnaire to ask in full. First read the customer’s words, identifiers, drawing, intended assay and prior answers. Ask only about a material feature that remains unresolved.
2. An exact name, source product, publication structure, stereochemical drawing or isomeric SMILES may already answer a question. Preserve it; do not erase that information or claim it is absent because a text field is blank. Do not certify a graph or identity you have not validated.
3. For a relevant unresolved feature ask both what is intended and whether a particular choice matters for the customer’s application. Explain the choice in ordinary language, offer the appropriate options and allow “I don’t know; ask Vulcan”.
4. Record three distinct states: SPECIFIED (the actual customer-approved choice); UNRESTRICTED (the customer explicitly says this feature does not matter, with any limits); UNKNOWN (a chemist must advise). Unrestricted does not automatically mean racemic, natural, a mixture, or any particular isomer.
5. If a mixture is acceptable, ask what composition or range is acceptable when relevant. Do not silently replace a single structure with a mixture. A required exact isomer with unspecified identity stays open for chemist review.
6. Ask a small group of the most consequential unanswered questions first. Do not re-ask after an answer, a clear drawing or an explicit deferral. Keep optional presentation, testing, address and quantity choices open when the customer wants recommendations or pricing first.
7. Map answers to the existing project fields listed with each example. For a text clarification that is best recorded in notes, use one line per answer: question_field: customer’s answer (for example chain_assignment: UNRESTRICTED — either single positional isomer acceptable; mixture permission undecided). Preparation recognizes these explicit answers and does not repeat them. Do not invent an unsupported project field from a question ID. Keep original_request intact. For uploads, save each answer against its returned issue ID; changed targets or project need a fresh review.
8. Names, drawings and identifiers that conflict require one source-of-truth question. Do not pick whichever source is easiest to interpret. A chemist can resolve remaining uncertainty; never invent a CAS number, atom assignment or SMILES.

SCENARIO BANK — these are prompts, not inferred customer answers

lyso_position: Lysolipid position
Example: 16:0 lyso PC, LPC 16:0
Ask when: The retained chain/free hydroxyl position is not specified.
Question: Which position should retain the chain: sn-1 with the free hydroxyl at sn-2, or the reverse? Does a particular positional isomer matter, or should Vulcan advise?
Record: Record the retained chain and free-OH positions explicitly. Do not equate “1-lyso” with “chain at sn-1”.
Fields: lyso_position, sn1, sn2

chain_assignment: Different chains and their positions
Example: PC 16:0_18:1
Ask when: Two different chains are supplied without positional assignment.
Question: Must 16:0 and 18:1 occupy particular sn positions, or is position not important for your assay?
Record: Use sn1/sn2 only for a confirmed assignment. Keep unspecified positions or an acceptable mixture explicit.
Fields: sn1, sn2, notes

sum_composition: Total composition versus one molecule
Example: PC 34:1
Ask when: Only total carbons/unsaturation or an MS feature is supplied.
Question: Do you need one exact chain combination and isomer, a reference matching an observed signal, or a defined mixture? Can you share the structure or source?
Record: A sum composition does not identify one molecular structure. Keep the required resolution level explicit.
Fields: sn1, sn2, notes

backbone_stereo: Glycerol/backbone stereochemistry
Example: A glycerophospholipid drawing with an unspecified stereocenter
Ask when: Backbone configuration remains unresolved and is relevant to the request.
Question: Do you need a particular backbone configuration or enantiomer, or is this feature not important? A reference drawing or product can help if you don’t know the notation.
Record: Preserve sn notation or drawn stereo when supplied. Do not convert sn to R/S without checking the complete structure.
Fields: backbone, stereochemistry, notes

chiral_acyl: Chiral functional groups
Example: 15-HETE or a hydroxy fatty acid without an R/S assignment
Ask when: A hydroxy, epoxide or other chiral site has unresolved configuration.
Question: Which numbered sites need which configuration? Must these be specific stereoisomers, or may Vulcan recommend a suitable composition?
Record: Record each site and the requested configuration or explicit uncertainty. Do not make every center “natural” by default.
Fields: stereochemistry, notes

alkene_geometry: Double-bond locations and geometry
Example: 18:1, 20:4, cis-unsaturated lipid
Ask when: The chain shorthand omits required positions or E/Z geometry.
Question: Do you need particular double-bond positions and cis/trans geometry, or is a specified source/product sufficient? Does the exact isomer matter for the assay?
Record: Store positions and geometry per chain. Omega family alone must not be expanded into an invented complete structure.
Fields: double_bond_positions_and_geometry, sn1, sn2

ether_linkage: Ester, alkyl ether or vinyl ether
Example: Ether PC; O- or P- shorthand
Ask when: The linkage is generic or conflicts with a drawing.
Question: Is the chain attached as an ester, an alkyl ether, or a vinyl ether/plasmalogen? Which position and source structure do you intend?
Record: Keep O- versus P- information and exact connectivity. These linkage types are distinct targets.
Fields: linkage, sn1, sn2

branching: Branched chains
Example: Branched 17:0 lipid
Ask when: A chain is described as branched without branch location/type.
Question: Where are the branches, and is an iso/anteiso or other specific chain required? Does branch stereochemistry matter?
Record: Record branch positions/type and applicable stereo, or request a reference structure.
Fields: sn1, sn2, stereochemistry, notes

oxidation_state: Oxidized lipid identity
Example: Oxidized PC or hydroxy PUFA
Ask when: Oxidation site/type is not specified.
Question: Which chain, position and oxidation product do you need: for example a hydroxyl, hydroperoxide, epoxide or carbonyl? Is one isomer required?
Record: Do not treat different oxidation products as interchangeable or assume an oxidation mixture.
Fields: molecule_name, stereochemistry, notes

mediator_identity: Lipid mediator family and stereoisomer
Example: RvD5, isoprostane, prostaglandin
Ask when: A family/trivial name leaves the required parent or stereoisomer uncertain.
Question: Which exact parent structure, numbered stereochemistry and double-bond pattern do you intend? Is this DHA-derived RvD5 or another family/epimer? Please share the source drawing if available.
Record: DHA-derived 7S,17S-RvD5, 17R epimers, n3DPA mediators and PDX must not be substituted for one another. Record the customer’s exact reference.
Fields: molecule_name, stereochemistry, double_bond_positions_and_geometry, notes

conjugate_site: Glucuronide/conjugate attachment
Example: Lipid glucuronide with several hydroxyls and a carboxyl group
Ask when: The conjugation site or O/acyl linkage is unresolved.
Question: Which atom or functional group should carry the conjugate? Do you intend an O-glucuronide at a particular hydroxyl or an acyl glucuronide at the carboxyl group? Does one linkage matter?
Record: Identify parent numbering, attachment site and linkage separately. Do not merge C9-O, C11-O and acyl products.
Fields: linkage, functional_handle, notes

sugar_identity: Sugar identity and configuration
Example: Hexosyl lipid or glucose conjugate
Ask when: Sugar identity, D/L configuration or ring form is unresolved.
Question: Which sugar and configuration do you need, and does its ring form matter? Can Vulcan use your reference drawing to confirm?
Record: Keep sugar identity/configuration and ring form explicit. D-/L- prefixes are stereochemistry, not automatically isotope labels.
Fields: stereochemistry, notes

sugar_linkage: Anomer and glycosidic linkage
Example: Glycolipid with unspecified alpha/beta or linkage position
Ask when: Anomeric configuration or attachment locants are missing.
Question: Which alpha/beta linkage and attachment positions are required, or does a particular glycoform not matter?
Record: Record anomer and attachment locants. Preserve wedges/links visible in a reliable drawing rather than asking for missing text labels.
Fields: linkage, stereochemistry, notes

phosphate_position: Phosphate/headgroup positions
Example: PIP2 without phosphate locants
Ask when: The headgroup contains several possible phosphorylation or substitution sites.
Question: Which headgroup positions should be phosphorylated or modified? Do you need one exact positional isomer?
Record: Use a numbered reference; do not default to a familiar PIP isomer.
Fields: headgroup, notes

sphingoid_base: Sphingoid backbone
Example: Ceramide or sphingosine derivative
Ask when: Base identity, hydroxyl count, unsaturation or stereo is unresolved.
Question: Which sphingoid base, chain length, hydroxyl pattern and configuration do you need? Is your named source structure sufficient, or should Vulcan advise?
Record: Keep base and N-acyl chain separate; do not apply glycerol sn-position rules to a sphingoid backbone.
Fields: backbone, stereochemistry, double_bond_positions_and_geometry, notes

ceramide_acyl: Ceramide N-acyl chain and modifications
Example: C16 ceramide, hydroxy ceramide
Ask when: N-acyl length/unsaturation or hydroxylated-chain identity is uncertain.
Question: What N-acyl chain and modifications do you require, and should any new stereocenters be specified?
Record: Clarify what the shorthand carbon number refers to; do not assume the base and acyl chain from one total.
Fields: backbone, stereochemistry, notes

sterol_stereo: Sterol stereochemistry and substitution
Example: Sterol ester or oxysterol derivative
Ask when: The sterol parent or modified OH position/configuration is unresolved.
Question: Which sterol parent and numbered modification sites do you need? Does the modified center require a particular configuration?
Record: Preserve stereochemistry inherent in a verified parent name; ask about the unresolved modification.
Fields: molecule_name, stereochemistry, notes

isotope_site: Isotope identity and exact location
Example: Labeled PC or deuterated lipid
Ask when: The isotope, labeled atoms/region or label count is uncertain.
Question: Which isotope, how many labels and which atoms or region should be labeled? Are equivalent positional patterns acceptable?
Record: Keep isotope and placement explicit. Never assume headgroup-only or uniformly labeled material.
Fields: isotope_label, notes

isotope_enrichment: Enrichment versus chemical purity
Example: 13C internal standard
Ask when: Enrichment, isotopologue distribution or unlabeled background matters but is missing.
Question: Do you need a minimum isotope enrichment or limit on unlabeled/other isotopologue material? Should Vulcan recommend a suitable target?
Record: Record enrichment separately from chemical purity; preserve units and what the percentage refers to.
Fields: isotope_label, purity_target, analysis

handle_attachment: Functional handle site
Example: Biotin lipid, fluorescent lipid, azide lipid
Ask when: The lipid attachment site, label identity or substitution count is missing.
Question: Which label or handle, attachment site and number per lipid do you intend? Should it be on the headgroup, chain or a supplied linker?
Record: Record the exact requested conjugate and free/reactive groups. Do not choose a fluorophore or site silently.
Fields: functional_handle, linkage, notes

linker_orientation: Linker length, bond and orientation
Example: PEG-lipid conjugate or click-ready lipid
Ask when: Linker orientation/end groups/bond type are uncertain.
Question: Which linker length and end groups are needed, and which end attaches to the lipid? Do you need a cleavable bond or a particular click partner?
Record: Preserve intended coupling partner and orientation; do not promise compatibility from a handle name alone.
Fields: functional_handle, linkage, notes

peg_distribution: PEG average versus a discrete oligomer
Example: PEG2000 lipid
Ask when: A nominal PEG mass is supplied without distribution or chain definition.
Question: Is an average PEG molecular-weight distribution acceptable, or do you need a discrete chain length? Are there limits on dispersity or unmodified lipid?
Record: Keep nominal average, distribution and exact oligomer distinct. Do not turn PEG2000 into a single exact molecular formula.
Fields: functional_handle, purity_target, notes

salt_state: Free form, salt and counterion
Example: Fatty acid standard or charged lipid
Ask when: A free acid/base, counterion or hydrate/solvate choice affects the request.
Question: Do you need a particular free form or salt/counterion? Is solvent or water content important to your concentration calculation?
Record: Store the chosen form, or an explicit request for chemist advice. Do not guess charge/protonation from an unreadable drawing.
Fields: salt_or_counterion, presentation, analysis

mixture_composition: Blends and composition tolerances
Example: PC/PE blend or acceptable regioisomer mixture
Ask when: A blend or mixture is requested without ratio basis/tolerance.
Question: Which components and proportions are needed, expressed as molar or mass fractions? What range is acceptable, and may Vulcan propose the formulation?
Record: Keep each component identity, ratio basis and tolerance. Do not add together independent target quantities.
Fields: molecule_name, notes, total_quantity

natural_preparation: Natural preparation versus defined species
Example: Soy PC or a tissue-derived lipid preparation
Ask when: A biological source is named without defining mixture versus one molecule.
Question: Do you want the source-derived mixture, a defined synthetic blend, or one molecular species? Does it need to match a reference composition?
Record: Preserve source and composition requirements without inventing component ratios.
Fields: molecule_name, notes

derivative_identity: Free parent versus an ester or conjugate
Example: DHA for an assay that mentions a methyl ester
Ask when: The request could mean the free parent or a chemically modified derivative.
Question: Do you need the free acid, a particular ester, or the lipid attached to another molecule? Which reference defines it?
Record: Treat an ester/conjugate as a distinct molecular target, not merely a presentation choice.
Fields: molecule_name, linkage, notes

target_reference: Targets versus reference drawings
Example: PDF with products, intermediates and comparison structures
Ask when: A page contains several disconnected molecules or a reaction scheme.
Question: Which drawings do you want Vulcan to produce, and which are references or intermediates? Please confirm the separate target list.
Record: Keep complete connected molecules together with stable source locations and independent requirements.
Fields: notes

conflicting_identity: Name, drawing and identifier disagree
Example: A product name differs from a supplied structure/CAS/SMILES
Ask when: Two supplied representations appear inconsistent.
Question: Which source should define the requested molecule? Could you confirm the authoritative drawing, identifier or publication structure?
Record: Preserve both inputs and the conflict until resolved. Do not silently overwrite one source.
Fields: molecule_name, smiles, inchi, inchikey, notes

purity_definition: Purity and acceptance evidence
Example: High-purity research standard
Ask when: Purity is generic or a percentage lacks a measurement basis.
Question: What does purity need to mean for your assay—chemical, positional, stereochemical or isotope purity—and which impurities matter? Would you like Vulcan to recommend methods and targets?
Record: Separate each requirement and its measurement basis. A chromatographic area percentage is not automatically total material purity.
Fields: purity_target, analysis, application

stereo_purity: Isomeric purity requirements
Example: Enantiopure lipid or one lyso positional isomer
Ask when: One isomer is required but acceptable contamination is unstated.
Question: Is a minimum enantiomeric/diastereomeric or positional purity required, or should Vulcan recommend a suitable target and measurement?
Record: Keep isomeric purity separate from overall chemical purity. Do not invent an acceptance percentage.
Fields: purity_target, analysis, stereochemistry

stability_requirements: Stability and relevant impurities
Example: Polyunsaturated, oxidized or acyl-glucuronide standard
Ask when: Handling or degradation products could affect the assay.
Question: Are oxidation, hydrolysis, migration or other degradation products important to control? What storage, shipment and use conditions should Vulcan plan around?
Record: Record the application and requested controls; let the chemist establish measured stability and handling recommendations.
Fields: analysis, presentation, application, notes

quantity_planning: Quantity depends on price
Example: Enough lipid for a research assay
Ask when: The customer cannot choose a firm quantity before a quote.
Question: I’ll keep the amount dependent on pricing. Is there a useful range or minimum assay need for planning, or should Vulcan suggest price/quantity options?
Record: Record Choose after pricing plus any customer-confirmed range. Do not turn a suggested range into a commitment.
Fields: total_quantity, notes

presentation: Neat material, solution and aliquots
Example: Lipid in vials
Ask when: Presentation is undecided or unsuitable for the stated application.
Question: Would you prefer neat material or a solution with agreed solvent/concentration? Any vial/aliquot needs, or should Vulcan recommend them?
Record: Keep recommendations pending. Do not assign solvent, container or storage conditions as requirements without confirmation.
Fields: presentation, vial_count, notes

concentration: Concentration and amount basis
Example: 1 mM stock or lipid in buffer
Ask when: Concentration, solvent or amount definition is incomplete.
Question: What concentration and solvent are required, and should the amount refer to active lipid, salt/solvate mass or total solution? Would concentration assignment be needed?
Record: Keep units, solvent and material basis explicit. Do not equate solution volume with lipid mass.
Fields: presentation, total_quantity, analysis

deadline: Application and timing
Example: Material for a scheduled assay
Ask when: The assay need or desired date affects feasibility planning.
Question: What research use and desired timing should Vulcan consider? Is that a fixed requirement or a preference?
Record: Record the distinction. Submission does not confirm a delivery date or feasibility.
Fields: application, desired_date, notes

budget: Optional budget and pricing constraints
Example: Quantity depends on the quote
Ask when: The customer wants the quote discussion to reflect a budget or pricing limit.
Question: Is there a budget range or price constraint you want Vulcan to consider, or would you prefer to see options first?
Record: Budget is optional. Preserve currency and whether it is a limit or preference; never invent a price or promise feasibility.
Fields: notes, total_quantity

NOMENCLATURE REFERENCES — intake examples are application guidance; these sources establish terminology
LIPID MAPS: structural-information hierarchy: https://www.lipidmaps.org/lipid_nomenclature/rules/hierarchy
LIPID MAPS: chain and sn-position shorthand: https://www.lipidmaps.org/databases/shorthand/overview
IUPAC-IUB: lipid nomenclature and lyso positions: https://iupac.qmul.ac.uk/lipid/lip1n2.html
IUPAC-IUBMB: glycolipid nomenclature: https://iupac.qmul.ac.uk/misc/glylp.html
Liebisch et al. 2020: updated lipid nomenclature (primary paper): https://doi.org/10.1194/jlr.S120001025