diff --git a/api/src/controllers/api/mod.rs b/api/src/controllers/api/mod.rs
index 13fe3d5..66ebaac 100644
--- a/api/src/controllers/api/mod.rs
+++ b/api/src/controllers/api/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use serde::Deserialize;
+
 pub mod pept2ec;
 pub mod pept2funct;
 pub mod pept2go;
@@ -11,6 +13,19 @@ pub mod taxa2lca;
 pub mod taxa2tree;
 pub mod taxonomy;
 
+#[derive(Deserialize)]
+#[serde(untagged)]
+pub enum EitherVec<T, U> {
+    Left(Vec<T>),
+    Right(Vec<U>)
+}
+
+impl<T, U> Default for EitherVec<T, U> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        EitherVec::Left(Vec::new())
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn default_equate_il() -> bool {
     true
 }
diff --git a/api/src/controllers/api/taxa2lca.rs b/api/src/controllers/api/taxa2lca.rs
index aa09b0e..7cf2fa8 100644
--- a/api/src/controllers/api/taxa2lca.rs
+++ b/api/src/controllers/api/taxa2lca.rs
@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ use crate::{
     },
     AppState
 };
+use crate::controllers::api::EitherVec;
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct Parameters {
     #[serde(default)]
-    input: Vec<u32>,
+    input: EitherVec<u32, String>,
     #[serde(default = "default_extra")]
     extra: bool,
     #[serde(default = "default_names")]
@@ -49,8 +50,13 @@ async fn handler(
     let taxon_store = datastore.taxon_store();
     let lineage_store = datastore.lineage_store();
 
+    let casted_input: Vec<u32> = match input {
+        EitherVec::Left(numbers) => numbers,
+        EitherVec::Right(strings) => strings.iter().map(|s| s.parse().unwrap_or_default()).collect()
+    };
+
     // Calculate the LCA of all taxa
-    let lca: i32 = calculate_lca(input, version, taxon_store, lineage_store);
+    let lca: i32 = calculate_lca(casted_input, version, taxon_store, lineage_store);
 
     if let Some((taxon_name, taxon_rank, _)) = taxon_store.get(lca as u32) {
         // Calculate the lineage of the LCA