diff --git a/src/wanijo/attribute/db.clj b/src/wanijo/attribute/db.clj
index 9b43faa..8d30796 100644
--- a/src/wanijo/attribute/db.clj
+++ b/src/wanijo/attribute/db.clj
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 (neo4j/defquery findy-by-schema
   "MATCH (a:attribute)-->(s:schema)
-   WHERE s.uuid = {uuid}
+   WHERE s.uuid = $uuid
    RETURN a
    ORDER BY a.name")
 (defn find-by-schema! [schema-uuid]
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 
 (neo4j/defquery with-name-in-schema
   "MATCH (a:attribute)-[:of]->(s:schema)
-   WHERE a.name = {name}
-     AND s.uuid = {schema_uuid}
+   WHERE a.name = $name
+     AND s.uuid = $schema_uuid
    RETURN a")
 (defn with-name-in-schema! [matching-name schema-uuid]
   (-> (neo4j/exec-query! with-name-in-schema
@@ -25,16 +25,16 @@
       :a))
 
 (neo4j/defquery create-new
-  "MATCH (s:schema {uuid:{schema_uuid}}),
-         (u:user {uuid:{user_uuid}})
+  "MATCH (s:schema {uuid: $schema_uuid}),
+         (u:user {uuid: $user_uuid})
    CREATE (a:attribute)
    CREATE (a)-[:created_by]->(u)
    CREATE (a)-[:of]->(s)
-      SET a.type = {type}
-      SET a.name = {name}
-      SET a.uuid = {attribute_uuid}
-      SET a.required = {required}
-      SET a.created_at = {created_at}")
+      SET a.type = $type
+      SET a.name = $name
+      SET a.uuid = $attribute_uuid
+      SET a.required = $required
+      SET a.created_at = $created_at")
 (defn create-new! [attr schema-uuid user-uuid]
   (neo4j/exec-query!
     create-new
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@
 
 (neo4j/defquery edit
   "MATCH (a:attribute)
-   WHERE a.uuid = {uuid}
-     SET a.type = {type}
-     SET a.name = {name}
-     SET a.required = {required}")
+   WHERE a.uuid = $uuid
+     SET a.type = $type
+     SET a.name = $name
+     SET a.required = $required")
 (defn edit! [attr]
   (neo4j/exec-query!
     edit
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 
 (neo4j/defquery delete-by-uuid
   "MATCH (a:attribute)-[c]-()
-   WHERE a.uuid = {uuid}
+   WHERE a.uuid = $uuid
    DELETE c, a")
 (defn delete-by-uuid! [uuid]
   (neo4j/exec-query!
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
     {:uuid uuid}))
 
 (neo4j/defquery required
-  "MATCH (a:attribute)-[:of]->(s:schema {uuid:{schema_uuid}})
+  "MATCH (a:attribute)-[:of]->(s:schema {uuid: $schema_uuid})
    WHERE a.required = 1
    RETURN a
    ORDER BY a.name")
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
        first))
 
 (neo4j/defquery find-by-instance
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{instance_uuid}}),
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $instance_uuid}),
          (i)-[:of]->(s:schema),
          (a:attribute)-[:of]->(s)
    RETURN a
diff --git a/src/wanijo/instance/db.clj b/src/wanijo/instance/db.clj
index f9ba9bf..f09af34 100644
--- a/src/wanijo/instance/db.clj
+++ b/src/wanijo/instance/db.clj
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 (neo4j/defquery findy-by-schema
   "MATCH (i:instance)-[:of]->(s:schema)
-   WHERE s.uuid = {uuid}
+   WHERE s.uuid = $uuid
    OPTIONAL MATCH
          (i)-[:tagged_with]->(t:tag)
    OPTIONAL MATCH
@@ -34,21 +34,21 @@
        (sort-by :name)))
 
 (neo4j/defquery create-instance
-  "MATCH (s:schema {uuid:{schema_uuid}}),
-         (u:user {uuid:{user_uuid}})
-   CREATE (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}})-[:of]->(s),
+  "MATCH (s:schema {uuid: $schema_uuid}),
+         (u:user {uuid: $user_uuid})
+   CREATE (i:instance {uuid: $uuid})-[:of]->(s),
           (i)-[:created_by]->(u)
-      SET i.name = {name},
-          i.created_at = {created_at},
-          i.updated_at = {created_at}")
+      SET i.name = $name,
+          i.created_at = $created_at,
+          i.updated_at = $created_at")
 (neo4j/defquery create-property
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}}),
-         (a:attribute {uuid:{attr_uuid}})
-   CREATE (p:property {uuid:{prop_uuid}})-[:of]->(i),
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $uuid}),
+         (a:attribute {uuid: $attr_uuid})
+   CREATE (p:property {uuid: $prop_uuid})-[:of]->(i),
           (p)-[:of]->(a)
-     SET p.value = {value},
-         p.created_at = {created_at},
-         p.updated_at = {updated_at}")
+     SET p.value = $value,
+         p.created_at = $created_at,
+         p.updated_at = $updated_at")
 (defn create! [user-uuid
                schema-uuid
                {:keys [name properties]}]
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
                    prop-tuples))))
 
 (neo4j/defquery find-by-uuid
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}})-[:of]->(s:schema)
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $uuid})-[:of]->(s:schema)
    RETURN i, s")
 (defn find-by-uuid! [uuid]
   {:post [(spec/assert ::domain-instance/instance-with-schema %)]}
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
        first))
 
 (neo4j/defquery find-properties
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}}),
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $uuid}),
          (p:property)-[:of]->(i),
          (p)-[:of]->(a:attribute)
    RETURN p, a
@@ -98,19 +98,19 @@
                           {:uuid uuid})))
 
 (neo4j/defquery edit-instance
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}})
-     SET i.name = {name},
-         i.updated_at = {updated_at}")
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $uuid})
+     SET i.name = $name,
+         i.updated_at = $updated_at")
 (neo4j/defquery edit-property
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{instance_uuid}}),
-         (a:attribute {uuid:{attribute_uuid}})
-   MERGE (p:property {uuid:{uuid}})-[:of]->(i)
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $instance_uuid}),
+         (a:attribute {uuid: $attribute_uuid})
+   MERGE (p:property {uuid: $uuid})-[:of]->(i)
    MERGE (p)-[:of]->(a)
-   ON CREATE SET p.created_at = {now},
-                 p.updated_at = {now},
-                 p.value = {value}
-   ON MATCH SET p.updated_at = {now},
-                p.value = {value}")
+   ON CREATE SET p.created_at = $now,
+                 p.updated_at = $now,
+                 p.value = $value
+   ON MATCH SET p.updated_at = $now,
+                p.value = $value")
 (defn instance->prop-tuples [instance]
   {:post [(spec/assert ::domain-instance/prop-tuple %)]}
   (map (fn [prop]
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
                    prop-tuples))))
 
 (neo4j/defquery delete
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}}),
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $uuid}),
          (i)-[ic:of]->(s:schema),
          (i)-[cb:created_by]->(:user)
    OPTIONAL MATCH
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
                       #(-> % direction :created_at)))))
 
 (neo4j/defquery outgoing-links
-  "MATCH (inst:instance {uuid:{uuid}}),
+  "MATCH (inst:instance {uuid: $uuid}),
          (inst)-[link:link]->(target:instance),
          (target)-[:of]->(schema:schema)
    OPTIONAL MATCH
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@
   (group-by-link-and-assoc-tags uuid outgoing-links :target))
 
 (neo4j/defquery incoming-links
-  "MATCH (inst:instance {uuid:{uuid}}),
+  "MATCH (inst:instance {uuid: $uuid}),
          (inst)<-[link:link]-(source:instance),
          (source)-[:of]->(schema:schema)
    OPTIONAL MATCH
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@
          (db-tag/tags-by-instance! uuid)))
 
 (neo4j/defquery is-starred
-  "MATCH (u:user {uuid:{user_uuid}}),
-         (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}})
+  "MATCH (u:user {uuid: $user_uuid}),
+         (i:instance {uuid: $uuid})
    RETURN EXISTS((i)-[:starred_by]->(u)) AS starred")
 (defn is-starred! [uuid user-uuid]
   (-> (neo4j/exec-query! is-starred
@@ -210,11 +210,11 @@
       :starred))
 
 (neo4j/defquery mark-starred
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}}),
-         (u:user {uuid:{user_uuid}})
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $uuid}),
+         (u:user {uuid: $user_uuid})
    MERGE (i)-[s:starred_by]->(u)
    ON CREATE
-   SET s.created_at = {now}")
+   SET s.created_at = $now")
 (defn mark-starred! [uuid user-uuid]
   (neo4j/exec-query! mark-starred
                      {:uuid uuid
@@ -222,9 +222,9 @@
                       :now (neo4j/now-str)}))
 
 (neo4j/defquery remove-starred
-  "MATCH (:instance {uuid:{uuid}})
+  "MATCH (:instance {uuid: $uuid})
          -[s:starred_by]->
-         (:user {uuid:{user_uuid}})
+         (:user {uuid: $user_uuid})
    DELETE s")
 (defn remove-starred! [uuid user-uuid]
   (neo4j/exec-query! remove-starred
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@
                       :user_uuid user-uuid}))
 
 (neo4j/defquery starred-by-user
-  "MATCH (u:user {uuid:{user_uuid}})
+  "MATCH (u:user {uuid: $user_uuid})
          <-[s:starred_by]-
          (i:instance)
    RETURN i, s
diff --git a/src/wanijo/tag/db.clj b/src/wanijo/tag/db.clj
index e26a1ee..cef3bd8 100644
--- a/src/wanijo/tag/db.clj
+++ b/src/wanijo/tag/db.clj
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
                       ::name]))
 
 (neo4j/defquery tags-by-instance
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{uuid}})-[:tagged_with]->(t:tag)
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $uuid})-[:tagged_with]->(t:tag)
    RETURN t
    ORDER BY t.name")
 (defn tags-by-instance! [instance-uuid]
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@
                           {:uuid instance-uuid})))
 
 (neo4j/defquery merge-tag
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{instance_uuid}}),
-         (u:user {uuid:{user_uuid}})
-   MERGE (t:tag {name:{name}})-[:created_by]->(u)
-   ON CREATE SET t.uuid = {uuid},
-                 t.created_at = {now}
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $instance_uuid}),
+         (u:user {uuid: $user_uuid})
+   MERGE (t:tag {name: $name})-[:created_by]->(u)
+   ON CREATE SET t.uuid = $uuid,
+                 t.created_at = $now
    MERGE (i)-[:tagged_with]->(t)")
 (spec/def ::merge-tag-tuple
   (spec/keys :req-un [::specs/instance_uuid
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@
          (merge-tag-tuples tags instance-uuid user-uuid)))
 
 (neo4j/defquery remove-tag
-  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid:{instance_uuid}})
+  "MATCH (i:instance {uuid: $instance_uuid})
          -[c:tagged_with]->
-         (t:tag {uuid:{uuid}})
+         (t:tag {uuid: $uuid})
    DELETE c")
 (defn remove-tag! [uuid instance-uuid]
   (neo4j/exec-query! remove-tag