diff --git a/bmt/toolkit.py b/bmt/toolkit.py
index 83f91e4..1fe8c95 100644
--- a/bmt/toolkit.py
+++ b/bmt/toolkit.py
@@ -967,7 +967,13 @@ def get_element(self, name: str) -> Optional[Element]:
             element = self.get_element(name.replace("_", " "))
         if element is None:
             for e, el in self.view.all_elements().items():
-                if el.name.lower() == name.lower():
+                el_normalized = el.name.lower().replace(' ', '').replace('_', '')
+                name_normalized = name.lower().replace(' ', '').replace('_', '')
+                parsed_normalized = parsed_name.lower().replace(' ', '').replace('_', '')
+                if (el.name.lower() == name.lower() or 
+                    el.name.lower() == parsed_name.lower() or
+                    el_normalized == name_normalized or
+                    el_normalized == parsed_normalized):
                     element = el
 
         if type(element) == ClassDefinition and element.class_uri is None:
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index 2b71e4c..42aec3b 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# This file is automatically @generated by Poetry 2.1.1 and should not be changed by hand.
+# This file is automatically @generated by Poetry 2.1.2 and should not be changed by hand.
 
 [[package]]
 name = "alabaster"
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ description = "Read metadata from Python packages"
 optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.8"
 groups = ["dev"]
-markers = "python_version < \"3.10\""
+markers = "python_version == \"3.9\""
 files = [
     {file = "importlib_metadata-7.1.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:30962b96c0c223483ed6cc7280e7f0199feb01a0e40cfae4d4450fc6fab1f570"},
     {file = "importlib_metadata-7.1.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:b78938b926ee8d5f020fc4772d487045805a55ddbad2ecf21c6d60938dc7fcd2"},
@@ -1466,7 +1466,7 @@ description = "Backport of pathlib-compatible object wrapper for zip files"
 optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.8"
 groups = ["dev"]
-markers = "python_version < \"3.10\""
+markers = "python_version == \"3.9\""
 files = [
     {file = "zipp-3.19.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:f091755f667055f2d02b32c53771a7a6c8b47e1fdbc4b72a8b9072b3eef8015c"},
     {file = "zipp-3.19.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:bf1dcf6450f873a13e952a29504887c89e6de7506209e5b1bcc3460135d4de19"},
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_toolkit.py b/tests/unit/test_toolkit.py
index 5b4396c..1a56047 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_toolkit.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_toolkit.py
@@ -1223,3 +1223,52 @@ def test_get_all_types(toolkit):
 def test_get_all_multivalued_slots(toolkit):
     assert "synonym" in toolkit.get_all_multivalued_slots()
     assert "id" not in toolkit.get_all_multivalued_slots()
+
+
+def test_get_descendants_with_biolink_prefix(toolkit):
+    assert 'noncoding RNA product' in toolkit.get_descendants("noncoding RNA product")
+    assert 'microRNA' in toolkit.get_descendants("noncoding RNA product")
+    assert 'siRNA' in toolkit.get_descendants("noncoding RNA product")
+    
+    assert 'noncoding RNA product' in toolkit.get_descendants("biolink:NoncodingRNAProduct")
+    assert 'microRNA' in toolkit.get_descendants("biolink:NoncodingRNAProduct")
+    assert 'siRNA' in toolkit.get_descendants("biolink:NoncodingRNAProduct")
+    
+    assert 'microRNA' in toolkit.get_descendants("biolink:MicroRNA")
+    assert 'siRNA' in toolkit.get_descendants("biolink:SiRNA")
+
+
+def test_get_element_with_biolink_prefix_edge_cases(toolkit):
+    elem = toolkit.get_element("biolink:NoncodingRNAProduct")
+    assert elem is not None
+    assert elem.name == "noncoding RNA product"
+    
+    elem = toolkit.get_element("biolink:MicroRNA")
+    assert elem is not None
+    assert elem.name == "microRNA"
+    
+    elem = toolkit.get_element("biolink:SiRNA")
+    assert elem is not None
+    assert elem.name == "siRNA"
+    
+    elem = toolkit.get_element("biolink:gene_fusion_with")
+    assert elem is not None
+    assert elem.name == "gene_fusion_with"
+    
+    elem = toolkit.get_element("biolink:genetic_neighborhood_of")
+    assert elem is not None
+    assert elem.name == "genetic_neighborhood_of"
+
+
+def test_get_parent_with_biolink_prefix(toolkit):
+    parent = toolkit.get_parent('microRNA')
+    assert parent == 'noncoding RNA product'
+    
+    parent_curie = toolkit.get_parent('microRNA', formatted=True)
+    assert parent_curie == 'biolink:NoncodingRNAProduct'
+    
+    parent_from_curie = toolkit.get_parent('biolink:microRNA')
+    assert parent_from_curie == 'noncoding RNA product'
+    
+    parent_from_curie_formatted = toolkit.get_parent('biolink:microRNA', formatted=True)
+    assert parent_from_curie_formatted == 'biolink:NoncodingRNAProduct'