Skills
Reusable tools the AI co-scientist invokes during research. Each skill encapsulates domain knowledge and workflow patterns.
berdl
Query the KBase BERDL (BER Data Lakehouse) databases. Use when the user asks to explore pangenome data, query species information, get genome statistics, analyze gene clusters, access functional annotations, or query biochemistry data.
berdl-discover
Discover and document BERDL databases. Use when the user wants to explore a new database, generate documentation for a database, or create a module file for the berdl skill.
berdl-ingest
Ingest a local dataset into the BERDL Lakehouse from a local (off-cluster) machine. Handles data format detection and preparation, MinIO upload, and Delta table creation via the data_lakehouse_ingest pipeline. Use when a user wants to load a new dataset — SQLite, TSV, CSV, Parquet, or other tabular formats — into a Lakehouse namespace.
berdl-minio
Retrieve and use BERDL MinIO credentials and transfer result artifacts between BERDL object storage and the local machine. Use when exported query results need to be listed, downloaded, shared, or when only KBASE_AUTH_TOKEN is available and MinIO keys must be acquired.
berdl-query
Run SQL queries from a local machine against a provisioned BERDL Spark cluster using spark_connect_remote. Use when the user wants remote Spark compute with local control, needs clarity on connection and timeout behavior, or wants to return small/medium results directly before exporting large outputs.
berdl-review
Run an independent AI review of a project or research plan. Use when you want feedback without the full /submit checklist.
berdl_start
User-invocable
Get started with the BERIL Research Observatory. Use when a user is new, wants orientation, or asks what they can do.
linkml-schema
User-invocable
Generate LinkML schema YAML from markdown, Excel, or text descriptions. Scaffold a LinkML project repo and push to GitHub.
literature-review
User-invocable
Search and review biological literature using MCP tools (PubMed, arXiv, bioRxiv, Google Scholar) with full-text reading, citation snowballing, and PaperBLAST integration. Use when the user wants to find papers, review existing research on a topic, check what's known about an organism or pathway, or support a hypothesis with citations.
phenix
User-invocable
Structural biology workflow orchestrator using the Phenix suite. Use when the user wants to determine, refine, or validate protein structures — including AlphaFold structure retrieval, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, MolProbity validation, or visualization script generation.
pitfall-capture
Detect and document pitfalls encountered during BERDL work. Invoked by other BERDL skills when errors, retries, or data surprises occur.
remote-compute
User-invocable
Run arbitrary scripts on KBase compute nodes via the CDM Task Service (CTS). Use when the user needs to move compute off their notebook or local machine — e.g., running bioinformatics tools, heavy data processing, or anything that benefits from dedicated CPU/memory on a remote node.
submit
Submit a project for automated review. Use when the author is ready to validate documentation and request an AI review.
suggest-research
User-invocable
Review completed projects and their findings, then suggest a new high-impact research topic grounded in available BERDL data and scientific gaps. Use when the user wants to identify the next best research direction based on what has already been done.
synthesize
User-invocable
Read analysis outputs, compare against literature, and draft findings for a project REPORT.md. Use when notebooks have been run and the user wants to interpret results and write up findings.
How Skills Work
Skills are invoked by the AI co-scientist during research sessions using
slash commands (e.g., /synthesize, /literature-review).
Each skill reads from project files, queries BERDL data, and produces structured outputs
like reports, references, or data quality checks.
Skills are defined as markdown specifications in .claude/skills/ and
are version-controlled alongside the research artifacts they produce.