diff --git a/client/src/components/geneExpression/gene.js b/client/src/components/geneExpression/gene.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6899d4a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/geneExpression/gene.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// jshint esversion: 6
+/* rc slider https://www.npmjs.com/package/rc-slider */
+
+import React from "react";
+import _ from "lodash";
+import { connect } from "react-redux";
+import HistogramBrush from "../brushableHistogram";
+import { Button, ButtonGroup, Tooltip } from "@blueprintjs/core";
+import * as globals from "../../globals";
+import actions from "../../actions";
+
+@connect(state => {
+  return {};
+})
+class Gene extends React.Component {
+  constructor(props) {
+    super(props);
+    this.state = {};
+  }
+
+  render() {
+    const { gene } = this.props;
+    return (
+      <div>
+        <p> {gene} </p>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+export default Gene;
diff --git a/client/src/components/geneExpression/geneSet.js b/client/src/components/geneExpression/geneSet.js
index 357cdd92..d49c45d0 100644
--- a/client/src/components/geneExpression/geneSet.js
+++ b/client/src/components/geneExpression/geneSet.js
@@ -7,24 +7,108 @@ import { connect } from "react-redux";
 import HistogramBrush from "../brushableHistogram";
 import * as globals from "../../globals";
 import actions from "../../actions";
+import Gene from "./gene";
+import { Button, ButtonGroup, Tooltip } from "@blueprintjs/core";
+import {
+  postUserErrorToast,
+  keepAroundErrorToast
+} from "../framework/toasters";
+import { memoize } from "../../util/dataframe/util";
 
 @connect(state => {
-  return {};
+  return {
+    world: state.world,
+    userDefinedGenes: state.controls.userDefinedGenes,
+    userDefinedGenesLoading: state.controls.userDefinedGenesLoading
+  };
 })
 class GeneSet extends React.Component {
   constructor(props) {
     super(props);
-    this.state = {};
+    this.state = {
+      isOpen: false,
+      haveFetched: false
+    };
   }
 
+  _genesToUpper = listGenes => {
+    // Has to be a Map to preserve index
+    const upperGenes = new Map();
+    for (let i = 0, { length } = listGenes; i < length; i += 1) {
+      upperGenes.set(listGenes[i].toUpperCase(), i);
+    }
+
+    return upperGenes;
+  };
+
+  _memoGenesToUpper = memoize(this._genesToUpper, arr => arr);
+
+  fetchGenes = () => {
+    const { world, dispatch, userDefinedGenes, setGenes } = this.props;
+    const varIndexName = world.schema.annotations.var.index;
+    const { haveFetched } = this.state;
+
+    const worldGenes = world.varAnnotations.col(varIndexName).asArray();
+
+    const upperGenes = this._genesToUpper(setGenes);
+    const upperUserDefinedGenes = this._genesToUpper(userDefinedGenes);
+    const upperWorldGenes = this._memoGenesToUpper(worldGenes);
+
+    dispatch({ type: "bulk user defined gene start" });
+
+    Promise.all(
+      [...upperGenes.keys()].map(upperGene => {
+        /* Unlike bulk add... with gene sets this test needs to be within the set... */
+        // if (upperUserDefinedGenes.get(upperGene) !== undefined) {
+        //   return keepAroundErrorToast(`${upperGene} already exists`);
+        // }
+
+        const indexOfGene = upperWorldGenes.get(upperGene);
+
+        if (indexOfGene === undefined) {
+          console.log("found a gene that doesn't appear to be a valid name");
+          // return;
+          // keepAroundErrorToast(
+          //   `${
+          //     genes[upperGenes.get(upperGene)]
+          //   } doesn't appear to be a valid gene name.`
+          // );
+        }
+        return dispatch(
+          actions.requestUserDefinedGene(worldGenes[indexOfGene])
+        );
+      })
+    ).then(
+      () => dispatch({ type: "bulk user defined gene complete" }),
+      () => dispatch({ type: "bulk user defined gene error" })
+    );
+
+    this.setState({ haveFetched: true });
+    return undefined;
+  };
+
   render() {
     const { setName, setGenes } = this.props;
+    const { haveFetched, isOpen } = this.state;
+    // console.log("geneSet setGenes variable: ", setGenes);
     return (
       <div>
-        {setName}
-        {_.map(setGenes, gene => {
-          return <p key={gene}> {gene} </p>;
-        })}
+        <Button
+          minimal
+          onClick={() => {
+            this.setState({ isOpen: !isOpen });
+            if (!haveFetched) {
+              this.fetchGenes();
+            }
+          }}
+        >
+          {setName}
+        </Button>
+        {isOpen
+          ? _.map(setGenes, gene => {
+              return <Gene key={gene} gene={gene} />;
+            })
+          : null}
       </div>
     );
   }
diff --git a/client/src/components/geneExpression/index.js b/client/src/components/geneExpression/index.js
index a25c1ad6..dd6005bf 100644
--- a/client/src/components/geneExpression/index.js
+++ b/client/src/components/geneExpression/index.js
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ class GeneExpression extends React.Component {
     */
     if (bulkAdd !== "") {
       const genes = _.pull(_.uniq(bulkAdd.split(/[ ,]+/)), "");
+      console.log("geneExpression genes", genes);
       if (genes.length === 0) {
         return keepAroundErrorToast("Must enter a gene name.");
       }