What is the NBDR Protocol?
The BioNFT-Based Data Routing (NBDR) Protocol v2.1 represents a paradigm shift in genomic data access control. Operating at OSI Layer 4.5, NBDR intercepts data flows after transport reliability but before session management, enabling routing decisions based on blockchain-verified NFT ownership rather than traditional network topology.
NBDR transforms genomic data access from traditional cloud storage into an NFT-gated ecosystem with programmable royalty distribution through Story Protocol's Programmable IP License (PIL) terms, ensuring complete compliance with consent, ownership, and royalty obligations at the protocol level.
🏗️ Six Core Components
- BioFS CLI v1.6.2 – Swiss Army knife for file operations, tokenization, and node management
- web3fuse (C) – 46KB FUSE filesystem enabling POSIX access to NFT-gated genomic data
- biofs-sdk (Python) – Library for embedding BioCID access in scripts and Jupyter notebooks
- BioNFS (Rust QUIC) – Protocol infrastructure with real-time license verification and mid-stream revocation
- BioFS Node – Decentralized infrastructure for institutions to self-host data and sponsor AI/blockchain costs
- BioNFS MCP Server – Model Context Protocol enabling AI agents (Claude Code) to analyze genomic data with NFT-based access control
BioCID Specification
BioFS uses Blockchain Content Identifiers (BioCID) for addressing NFT-gated genomic data:
biocid://v1/<chain>/<collection>/<tokenId>/<path>
# Supported Chains:
# - avalanche (production biosamples)
# - story (IP registry & licensing)
# - ethereum (mainnet)
# - sequentias (consent management)
# Example:
biocid://v1/story/0xC91940118822D247B46d1eBA6B7Ed2A16F3aDC36/42/variants/sample.vcf
Key Features
🔐 NFT-Gated Access
Three-factor verification: NFT ownership, Web3 signature validation (ECDSA), and PIL license term compliance.
🌍 GDPR Compliant
Cryptographic deletion of entire derivative trees upon consent revocation, ensuring right to erasure.
🧬 Complete Provenance
Physical biosample → FASTQ → VCF → SQLite → ACMG reports with inherited PIL licenses.
💰 Programmable Royalties
Story Protocol PIL automatically distributes payments through derivative chains to original biosample owners.
🤖 AI-Native Integration
MCP Server enables Claude Code and AI agents to analyze genomic data with real-time NFT permission checks.
🔄 Multi-Region Sync
ETag-based differential sync for disaster recovery with chromosome-aware query capabilities.
Quick Start
Install BioFS CLI:
npm install -g biofs-cli
# Configure connection
biofs config set rpc https://sequentias-test.genobank.io
# Mount NFT-gated genomic data via FUSE
biofs mount biocid://v1/story/0xC91.../42 /mnt/genome
# Upload and tokenize
biofs upload genome.vcf --tokenize --collection 0xC91...
# List your tokenized files
biofs list --owned-by 0xYourWallet...
Run a BioFS Node:
git clone https://github.com/Genobank/biofs-node.git
cd biofs-node
npm install
npm start
Use BioFS SDK in Python:
from biofs import BioCID
# Access NFT-gated VCF file
vcf_path = BioCID('biocid://v1/story/0xC91.../42/variants/sample.vcf')
with open(vcf_path, 'r') as f:
variants = f.read()
# Automatically verifies NFT ownership and PIL terms
📚 Publications & Resources
NBDR Protocol Whitepaper
Complete technical specification of the BioNFT-Based Data Routing Protocol v2.1
Read Whitepaper →Biosample Permission Token with NFTs
Original paper introducing NFT-based biosample access control and consent management
Read Article →BioNFT Metamorphosis
Complete biosample lifecycle: from physical tube to AI-powered clinical intelligence
Read Article →BioNFS Whitepaper
Blockchain-native storage architecture implementing the NBDR protocol at Layer 4.5
Read Whitepaper →BioFS PIL Technical Architecture
Story Protocol integration for programmable royalties and licensing in genomic data
Read Article →BioFS Sandbox for Claude AI
Secure genomics AI sandbox enabling Claude Code to analyze NFT-gated genomic data
Read Article →API Endpoints
# Upload and tokenize genomic file
POST /api/v1/upload
Content-Type: multipart/form-data
X-Wallet-Signature: 0x...
# Get BioCID metadata (includes NFT and PIL info)
GET /api/v1/biocid/{biocid}
# Verify NFT ownership and PIL compliance
GET /api/v1/verify/{biocid}?wallet=0x...
# List files by NFT collection
GET /api/v1/collection/{collection_address}/files
# Stream NFT-gated genomic data
GET /api/v1/stream/{biocid}
Authorization: Bearer {nft_proof}