diff --git a/bento_reference_service/db.py b/bento_reference_service/db.py
index d6048ec..f838982 100644
--- a/bento_reference_service/db.py
+++ b/bento_reference_service/db.py
@@ -90,10 +90,28 @@ def deserialize_genome(self, rec: asyncpg.Record, external_resource_uris: bool)
             taxon=OntologyTerm(id=rec["taxon_id"], label=rec["taxon_label"]),
         )
 
-    async def _select_genomes(self, g_id: str | None, external_resource_uris: bool) -> AsyncIterator[GenomeWithURIs]:
+    async def _select_genomes(
+        self,
+        g_ids: list[str] | None,
+        taxon_id: str | None = None,
+        external_resource_uris: bool = False,
+    ) -> AsyncIterator[GenomeWithURIs]:
+        where_items: list[str] = []
+        q_params: list[str | int] = []
+
+        def _q_param(pv: str | int) -> str:
+            q_params.append(pv)
+            return f"${len(q_params)}"
+
+        if g_ids:
+            g_id_ors = " OR ".join(f"g.id = {_q_param(g_id)}" for g_id in g_ids)
+            where_items.append(f"({g_id_ors})")
+
+        if taxon_id:
+            where_items.append(f"taxon_id = {_q_param(taxon_id)}")
+
         conn: asyncpg.Connection
         async with self.connect() as conn:
-            where_clause = "WHERE g.id = $1" if g_id is not None else ""
             res = await conn.fetch(
                 f"""
                 SELECT
@@ -122,19 +140,21 @@ async def _select_genomes(self, g_id: str | None, external_resource_uris: bool)
                         )
                         SELECT jsonb_agg(contigs_tmp.*) FROM contigs_tmp
                     ) contigs
-                FROM genomes g {where_clause}
+                FROM genomes g {('WHERE ' + ' AND '.join(where_items)) if where_items else ''}
                 """,
-                *((g_id,) if g_id is not None else ()),
+                *q_params,
             )
 
         for r in map(lambda g: self.deserialize_genome(g, external_resource_uris), res):
             yield r
 
-    async def get_genomes(self, external_resource_uris: bool = False) -> tuple[GenomeWithURIs, ...]:
-        return tuple([r async for r in self._select_genomes(None, external_resource_uris)])
+    async def get_genomes(
+        self, g_ids: list[str] | None = None, taxon_id: str | None = None, external_resource_uris: bool = False
+    ) -> tuple[GenomeWithURIs, ...]:
+        return tuple([r async for r in self._select_genomes(g_ids, taxon_id, external_resource_uris)])
 
-    async def get_genome(self, g_id: str, external_resource_uris: bool = False) -> GenomeWithURIs | None:
-        return await anext(self._select_genomes(g_id, external_resource_uris), None)
+    async def get_genome(self, g_id: str, *, external_resource_uris: bool = False) -> GenomeWithURIs | None:
+        return await anext(self._select_genomes([g_id], external_resource_uris=external_resource_uris), None)
 
     async def delete_genome(self, g_id: str) -> None:
         conn: asyncpg.Connection
@@ -165,7 +185,7 @@ async def get_genome_and_contig_by_checksum_str(
                 chk_norm,
             )
 
-        genome_res = (await anext(self._select_genomes(contig_res["genome_id"], False), None)) if contig_res else None
+        genome_res = (await anext(self._select_genomes([contig_res["genome_id"]]), None)) if contig_res else None
         if genome_res is None or contig_res is None:
             return None
         return genome_res, self.deserialize_contig(contig_res)
diff --git a/bento_reference_service/routers/genomes.py b/bento_reference_service/routers/genomes.py
index 65fef29..094f1ce 100644
--- a/bento_reference_service/routers/genomes.py
+++ b/bento_reference_service/routers/genomes.py
@@ -33,9 +33,12 @@ async def get_genome_or_raise_404(
 
 @genome_router.get("", dependencies=[authz_middleware.dep_public_endpoint()])
 async def genomes_list(
-    db: DatabaseDependency, response_format: str | None = None
+    db: DatabaseDependency,
+    ids: Annotated[list[str] | None, Query()] = None,
+    taxon_id: str | None = None,
+    response_format: str | None = None,
 ) -> tuple[m.GenomeWithURIs, ...] | tuple[str, ...]:
-    genomes = await db.get_genomes(external_resource_uris=True)
+    genomes = await db.get_genomes(ids, taxon_id, external_resource_uris=True)
     if response_format == "id_list":
         return tuple(g.id for g in genomes)
     # else, format as full response
diff --git a/bento_reference_service/sql/schema.sql b/bento_reference_service/sql/schema.sql
index 58abaea..e3289f4 100644
--- a/bento_reference_service/sql/schema.sql
+++ b/bento_reference_service/sql/schema.sql
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS genomes (
     taxon_id VARCHAR(31) NOT NULL,  -- e.g., NCBITaxon:9606
     taxon_label TEXT NOT NULL  -- e.g., Homo sapiens
 );
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS genomes_id_trgm_idx ON genomes USING GIN (id gin_trgm_ops);
 
 -- Migration (v0.2.0): add genomes.gff3_uri and genomes.gff3_tbi_uri if they do not exist:
 ALTER TABLE genomes
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS genome_aliases (
     PRIMARY KEY (genome_id, alias)
 );
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS genome_aliases_genome_idx ON genome_aliases (genome_id);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS genome_aliases_alias_trgm_idx ON genome_aliases USING GIN (alias gin_trgm_ops);
 
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS genome_contigs (
     genome_id VARCHAR(31) NOT NULL REFERENCES genomes ON DELETE CASCADE,
diff --git a/tests/test_db.py b/tests/test_db.py
index 81985ef..c3e3885 100644
--- a/tests/test_db.py
+++ b/tests/test_db.py
@@ -30,6 +30,22 @@ async def test_create_genome(db: Database, db_cleanup):
     await _set_up_hg38_subset_genome(db)
 
 
+async def test_get_genomes(db: Database, db_cleanup):
+    # start with two genomes, so we validate that we get the right one(s)
+    await _set_up_sars_cov_2_genome(db)
+    await _set_up_hg38_subset_genome(db)
+
+    assert len(await db.get_genomes(g_ids=[SARS_COV_2_GENOME_ID, TEST_GENOME_HG38_CHR1_F100K_OBJ.id])) == 2
+
+    res = await db.get_genomes(g_ids=[SARS_COV_2_GENOME_ID])
+    assert len(res) == 1
+    assert res[0].id == SARS_COV_2_GENOME_ID
+
+    res = await db.get_genomes(taxon_id="NCBITaxon:9606")
+    assert len(res) == 1
+    assert res[0].id == TEST_GENOME_HG38_CHR1_F100K_OBJ.id
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "checksum,genome_id,contig_name",
     [