
biorxiv-search
Search bioRxiv biology preprints with natural language queries. Semantic search powered by Valyu.
- Installs
- 146
- Last 24h
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/yorkeccak/scientific-skills --skill biorxiv-search- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads biorxiv-search automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
bioRxiv Search
Search the complete bioRxiv database of biological sciences preprints using natural language queries powered by Valyu's semantic search API.
Why This Skill is Powerful
- No API Parameter Parsing: Just pass natural language queries directly - no need to construct complex search parameters
- Semantic Search: Understands the meaning of your query, not just keyword matching
- Full-Text Access: Returns complete article content, not just abstracts
- Image Links: Includes figures and images from papers
- Comprehensive Coverage: Access to all bioRxiv preprints in biological sciences
Requirements
- Node.js 18+ (uses built-in fetch)
- Valyu API key from https://platform.valyu.ai ($10 free credits)
CRITICAL: Script Path Resolution
The scripts/search commands in this documentation are relative to this skill's installation directory.
Before running any command, locate the script using:
BIORXIV_SCRIPT=$(find ~/.claude/plugins/cache -name "search" -path "*/biorxiv-search/*/scripts/*" -type f 2>/dev/null | head -1)
Then use the full path for all commands:
$BIORXIV_SCRIPT "CRISPR gene editing" 15
API Key Setup Flow
When you run a search and receive "setup_required": true, follow this flow:
-
Ask the user for their API key: "To search bioRxiv, I need your Valyu API key. Get one free ($10 credits) at https://platform.valyu.ai"
-
Once the user provides the key, run:
scripts/search setup <api-key> -
Retry the original search.
Example Flow:
User: Search bioRxiv for CRISPR advances
→ Response: {"success": false, "setup_required": true, ...}
→ Claude asks: "Please provide your Valyu API key from https://platform.valyu.ai"
→ User: "val_abc123..."
→ Claude runs: scripts/search setup val_abc123...
→ Response: {"success": true, "type": "setup", ...}
→ Claude retries: scripts/search "CRISPR advances" 10
→ Success!
When to Use This Skill
- Finding biology research not yet published in journals
- Cross-disciplinary life sciences research
- Rapid access to unpublished experimental data
- Disease mechanism research
- Evolutionary and developmental biology studies
- Ecological research and conservation biology
Output Format
{
"success": true,
"type": "biorxiv_search",
"query": "CRISPR gene editing",
"result_count": 10,
"results": [
{
"title": "Article Title",
"url": "https://biorxiv.org/content/...",
"content": "Full article text with figures...",
"source": "biorxiv",
"relevance_score": 0.95,
"images": ["https://example.com/figure1.jpg"]
}
],
"cost": 0.025
}
Processing Results
With jq
# Get article titles
scripts/search "query" 10 | jq -r '.results[].title'
# Get URLs
scripts/search "query" 10 | jq -r '.results[].url'
# Extract full content
scripts/search "query" 10 | jq -r '.results[].content'
Common Use Cases
Molecular Biology
# Find recent molecular biology papers
scripts/search "protein-protein interaction networks" 50
Neuroscience
# Search for neuroscience research
scripts/search "optogenetics in behavior studies" 20
Genomics
# Find genomics papers
scripts/search "single cell RNA sequencing analysis" 15
Developmental Biology
# Search for developmental biology papers
scripts/search "embryonic stem cell differentiation" 25
Error Handling
All commands return JSON with success field:
{
"success": false,
"error": "Error message"
}
Exit codes:
0- Success1- Error (check JSON for details)
API Endpoint
- Base URL:
https://api.valyu.ai/v1 - Endpoint:
/search - Authentication: X-API-Key header
Architecture
scripts/
├── search # Bash wrapper
└── search.mjs # Node.js CLI
Direct API calls using Node.js built-in fetch(), zero external dependencies.
Adding to Your Project
If you're building an AI project and want to integrate bioRxiv Search directly into your application, use the Valyu SDK:
Python Integration
from valyu import Valyu
client = Valyu(api_key="your-api-key")
response = client.search(
query="your search query here",
included_sources=["valyu/valyu-biorxiv"],
max_results=20
)
for result in response["results"]:
print(f"Title: {result['title']}")
print(f"URL: {result['url']}")
print(f"Content: {result['content'][:500]}...")
TypeScript Integration
import { Valyu } from "valyu-js";
const client = new Valyu("your-api-key");
const response = await client.search({
query: "your search query here",
includedSources: ["valyu/valyu-biorxiv"],
maxResults: 20
});
response.results.forEach((result) => {
console.log(`Title: ${result.title}`);
console.log(`URL: ${result.url}`);
console.log(`Content: ${result.content.substring(0, 500)}...`);
});
See the Valyu docs for full integration examples and SDK reference.
FAQ
What does the biorxiv-search skill do?
Search bioRxiv biology preprints with natural language queries. Semantic search powered by Valyu.
How do I install biorxiv-search?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/yorkeccak/scientific-skills --skill biorxiv-search in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/biorxiv-search/ (personal) or .claude/skills/biorxiv-search/ (project).
Which AI agents can use biorxiv-search?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is biorxiv-search safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains biorxiv-search?
It is published by yorkeccak in yorkeccak/scientific-skills. It has 146 recorded installs.
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