diff --git a/client/src/components/geneExpression/gene.js b/client/src/components/geneExpression/gene.js
index 5912e912..7d0834eb 100644
--- a/client/src/components/geneExpression/gene.js
+++ b/client/src/components/geneExpression/gene.js
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ class Gene extends React.Component {
       isColorAccessor,
       isScatterplotXXaccessor,
       isScatterplotYYaccessor,
+      quickGene,
+      removeGene,
     } = this.props;
     const { geneIsExpanded } = this.state;
     const geneSymbolWidth = 60 + (geneIsExpanded ? MINI_HISTOGRAM_WIDTH : 0);
@@ -94,16 +96,18 @@ class Gene extends React.Component {
             }}
           >
             <div>
-              <Icon
-                icon="drag-handle-horizontal"
-                iconSize={12}
-                style={{
-                  marginRight: 7,
-                  cursor: "grab",
-                  position: "relative",
-                  top: -1,
-                }}
-              />
+              {!quickGene && (
+                <Icon
+                  icon="drag-handle-horizontal"
+                  iconSize={12}
+                  style={{
+                    marginRight: 7,
+                    cursor: "grab",
+                    position: "relative",
+                    top: -1,
+                  }}
+                />
+              )}
               <Truncate
                 tooltipAddendum={geneDescription && `: ${geneDescription}`}
               >
@@ -132,7 +136,9 @@ class Gene extends React.Component {
               minimal
               small
               data-testid={`delete-from-geneset-${gene}`}
-              onClick={this.handleDeleteGeneFromSet}
+              onClick={
+                quickGene ? removeGene(gene) : this.handleDeleteGeneFromSet
+              }
               intent="none"
               style={{ fontWeight: 700, marginRight: 2 }}
               icon={<Icon icon="trash" iconSize={10} />}
diff --git a/client/src/components/geneExpression/index.js b/client/src/components/geneExpression/index.js
index b7990627..0670e751 100644
--- a/client/src/components/geneExpression/index.js
+++ b/client/src/components/geneExpression/index.js
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import React from "react";
 import { connect } from "react-redux";
-import { Button } from "@blueprintjs/core";
-import GeneSet from "./geneSet";
+import { Button, H4, Icon } from "@blueprintjs/core";
+import { IconNames } from "@blueprintjs/icons";
 
+import GeneSet from "./geneSet";
+import QuickGene from "./quickGene";
 import CreateGenesetDialogue from "./menus/createGenesetDialogue";
 
 @connect((state) => {
@@ -11,6 +13,11 @@ import CreateGenesetDialogue from "./menus/createGenesetDialogue";
   };
 })
 class GeneExpression extends React.Component {
+  constructor(props) {
+    super(props);
+    this.state = { geneSetsExpanded: true };
+  }
+
   renderGeneSets = () => {
     const sets = [];
     const { genesets } = this.props;
@@ -31,25 +38,66 @@ class GeneExpression extends React.Component {
 
   handleActivateCreateGenesetMode = () => {
     const { dispatch } = this.props;
+    const { geneSetsExpanded } = this.state;
     dispatch({ type: "geneset: activate add new geneset mode" });
+    if (!geneSetsExpanded) {
+      this.setState((state) => {
+        return { ...state, geneSetsExpanded: true };
+      });
+    }
+  };
+
+  handleExpandGeneSets = () => {
+    this.setState((state) => {
+      return { ...state, geneSetsExpanded: !state.geneSetsExpanded };
+    });
   };
 
   render() {
+    const { geneSetsExpanded } = this.state;
     return (
       <div>
+        <QuickGene />
         <div>
-          <div style={{ marginBottom: 10, position: "relative", top: -2 }}>
-            <Button
-              data-testid="open-create-geneset-dialog"
-              onClick={this.handleActivateCreateGenesetMode}
-              intent="primary"
+          <div
+            style={{
+              display: "flex",
+              flexDirection: "row",
+              justifyContent: "space-between",
+            }}
+          >
+            <H4
+              role="menuitem"
+              tabIndex="0"
+              data-testclass="category-expand"
+              onKeyPress={this.handleExpandGeneSets}
+              style={{
+                cursor: "pointer",
+              }}
+              onClick={this.handleExpandGeneSets}
             >
-              Create new <strong>gene set</strong>
-            </Button>
+              Gene Sets{" "}
+              {geneSetsExpanded ? (
+                <Icon icon={IconNames.CHEVRON_DOWN} />
+              ) : (
+                <Icon icon={IconNames.CHEVRON_RIGHT} />
+              )}
+            </H4>
+
+            <div style={{ marginBottom: 10, position: "relative", top: -2 }}>
+              <Button
+                data-testid="open-create-geneset-dialog"
+                onClick={this.handleActivateCreateGenesetMode}
+                intent="primary"
+              >
+                Create new
+              </Button>
+            </div>
           </div>
           <CreateGenesetDialogue />
         </div>
-        <div>{this.renderGeneSets()}</div>
+
+        {geneSetsExpanded && <div>{this.renderGeneSets()}</div>}
       </div>
     );
   }
diff --git a/client/src/components/geneExpression/quickGene.js b/client/src/components/geneExpression/quickGene.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..219345f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/geneExpression/quickGene.js
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+import { H4, Icon, MenuItem } from "@blueprintjs/core";
+import { IconNames } from "@blueprintjs/icons";
+import React, { useState, useEffect, useRef, useMemo } from "react";
+import fuzzysort from "fuzzysort";
+import { Suggest } from "@blueprintjs/select";
+import { useSelector, useDispatch } from "react-redux";
+
+import Gene from "./gene";
+
+import { postUserErrorToast } from "../framework/toasters";
+import actions from "../../actions";
+
+const usePrevious = (value) => {
+  const ref = useRef();
+  useEffect(() => {
+    ref.current = value;
+  });
+  return ref.current;
+};
+
+function QuickGene() {
+  const dispatch = useDispatch();
+
+  const [isExpanded, setIsExpanded] = useState(true);
+  const [geneNames, setGeneNames] = useState([]);
+  const [, setStatus] = useState("pending");
+
+  const { annoMatrix, userDefinedGenes, userDefinedGenesLoading } = useSelector(
+    (state) => {
+      return {
+        annoMatrix: state.annoMatrix,
+        userDefinedGenes: state.controls.userDefinedGenes,
+        userDefinedGenesLoading: state.controls.userDefinedGenesLoading,
+      };
+    }
+  );
+
+  const prevProps = usePrevious({ annoMatrix });
+
+  useEffect(async () => {
+    if (!annoMatrix) return;
+    if (annoMatrix !== prevProps?.annoMatrix) {
+      const { schema } = annoMatrix;
+      const varIndex = schema.annotations.var.index;
+
+      setStatus("pending");
+      try {
+        const df = await annoMatrix.fetch("var", varIndex);
+        setStatus("success");
+        setGeneNames(df.col(varIndex).asArray());
+      } catch (error) {
+        setStatus("error");
+        throw error;
+      }
+    }
+  }, [annoMatrix, prevProps]);
+
+  const handleExpand = () => setIsExpanded(!isExpanded);
+
+  const renderGene = (fuzzySortResult, { handleClick, modifiers }) => {
+    if (!modifiers.matchesPredicate) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    /* the fuzzysort wraps the object with other properties, like a score */
+    const geneName = fuzzySortResult.target;
+
+    return (
+      <MenuItem
+        active={modifiers.active}
+        disabled={modifiers.disabled}
+        data-testid={`suggest-menu-item-${geneName}`}
+        key={geneName}
+        onClick={(g) =>
+          /* this fires when user clicks a menu item */
+          handleClick(g)
+        }
+        text={geneName}
+      />
+    );
+  };
+
+  const handleClick = (g) => {
+    if (!g) return;
+    const gene = g.target;
+    if (userDefinedGenes.indexOf(gene) !== -1) {
+      postUserErrorToast("That gene already exists");
+    } else if (geneNames.indexOf(gene) === undefined) {
+      postUserErrorToast("That doesn't appear to be a valid gene name.");
+    } else {
+      dispatch({ type: "single user defined gene start" });
+      dispatch(actions.requestUserDefinedGene(gene));
+      dispatch({ type: "single user defined gene complete" });
+    }
+  };
+
+  const filterGenes = (query, genes) =>
+    /* fires on load, once, and then for each character typed into the input */
+    fuzzysort.go(query, genes, {
+      limit: 5,
+      threshold: -10000, // don't return bad results
+    });
+
+  const removeGene = (gene) => () => {
+    dispatch({ type: "clear user defined gene", data: gene });
+  };
+
+  const QuickGenes = useMemo(() => {
+    return userDefinedGenes.map((gene) => {
+      return (
+        <Gene
+          key={`quick=${gene}`}
+          gene={gene}
+          removeGene={removeGene}
+          quickGene
+        />
+      );
+    });
+  }, [userDefinedGenes]);
+
+  return (
+    <div style={{ width: "100%", marginBottom: "16px" }}>
+      <H4
+        role="menuitem"
+        tabIndex="0"
+        data-testclass="category-expand"
+        onKeyPress={handleExpand}
+        style={{
+          cursor: "pointer",
+        }}
+        onClick={handleExpand}
+      >
+        Genes{" "}
+        {isExpanded ? (
+          <Icon icon={IconNames.CHEVRON_DOWN} />
+        ) : (
+          <Icon icon={IconNames.CHEVRON_RIGHT} />
+        )}
+      </H4>
+      {isExpanded && (
+        <>
+          <div style={{ marginBottom: "8px" }}>
+            <Suggest
+              resetOnSelect
+              closeOnSelect
+              resetOnClose
+              itemDisabled={userDefinedGenesLoading ? () => true : () => false}
+              noResults={<MenuItem disabled text="No matching genes." />}
+              onItemSelect={(g) => {
+                /* this happens on 'enter' */
+                handleClick(g);
+              }}
+              initialContent={<MenuItem disabled text="Enter a gene…" />}
+              inputProps={{
+                "data-testid": "gene-search",
+                placeholder: "Quick Gene Search",
+                leftIcon: IconNames.SEARCH,
+                fill: true,
+              }}
+              inputValueRenderer={() => {
+                return "";
+              }}
+              itemListPredicate={filterGenes}
+              itemRenderer={renderGene}
+              items={geneNames || ["No genes"]}
+              popoverProps={{ minimal: true }}
+              fill
+            />
+          </div>
+          {QuickGenes}
+        </>
+      )}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+export default QuickGene;