A skill your agent uses when triaging a study before any writing — stress-tests whether it clears Molecular Cell's bar (a deep molecular mechanism proven by orthogonal approaches with physiological…

MITAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Molcell Fit

skills CLI
$ npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill molcell-fit -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills molcell-fit --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/Molecular-Cell-Skills/skills/molcell-fit .claude/skills/molcell-fit && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
molcell-fit
GitHub stars
1.2k
Token cost
~1.6k tokens
SKILL.md length
656 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
2,387
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

A skill your agent uses when triaging a study before any writing — stress-tests whether it clears Molecular Cell's bar (a deep molecular mechanism proven by orthogonal approaches with physiological…

  • Works in 5 steps: Reports a phenotype or correlation,… → Localizes the effect to a… → Defines the molecular mechanism with one… → …
  • Belongs at a sibling
  • SKILL.md covers Why this is skill #1, When to trigger, Molecular Cell's home domains and The "deep mechanism" test, plus 5 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Molcell Fit is an agent skill from brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills. Use when triaging a study before any writing — stress-tests whether it clears Molecular Cell's bar (a deep molecular mechanism proven by orthogonal approaches with physiological relevance) or belongs at a sibling. Use this first to decide Molecular Cell vs Cell vs Cell Reports vs NSMB/EMBO J before investing in framing or figures.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Research & Science, covering Load testing. The repository describes itself as: Journal-specific Claude Code/Codex skill packs covering mainstream journals — AER, QJE, Nature, Cell, 管理世界, 经济研究 & 200+ more — your fast track to getting published. | 覆盖主流期刊的… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Belongs at a sibling
  • Tasks that involve Load testing

Example prompts

  • “/molcell-fit”

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Reports a phenotype or correlation, mechanism proposed only. (Weak — not Mol. Cell.)
  2. Localizes the effect to a protein/complex without the molecular step. (Borderline — Cell Reports.)
  3. Defines the molecular mechanism with one strong approach + validation. (Strong — Molecular Cell.)
  4. Reconstitutes/visualizes the mechanism with orthogonal biochemistry + structure/single-molecule and separation-of-function mutants…
  5. Rewrites the accepted molecular model of a process with decisive, multi-angle evidence. (Cell or Molecular Cell.)

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 932eb23. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Molcell Fit loads about 1.6k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 86 tokens; SKILL.md has 656 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~86
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.6k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills at commit 932eb23, republished under its MIT licence (© brycewang-stanford). 656 words, ~1,564 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/molcell-fit/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
molcell-fit
description
Use when triaging a study before any writing — stress-tests whether it clears Molecular Cell's bar (a deep molecular mechanism proven by orthogonal approaches with physiological relevance) or belongs at a sibling. Use this first to decide Molecular Cell vs Cell vs Cell Reports vs NSMB/EMBO J before investing in framing or figures.

Mechanism & Scope Fit (molcell-fit)

Why this is skill #1

Molecular Cell triages most submissions to rejection without external review. The gate is not "is it correct" and not "is it interesting" — it is "is the molecular mechanism worked out, proven by independent methods, and shown to matter in a physiological setting." A striking phenotype with a proposed-but-unproven mechanism is desk-rejected. Run this before writing a word.

When to trigger

  • Before drafting, to decide if Molecular Cell is the right Cell Press venue.
  • When a co-author says "this is a Molecular Cell paper" and you need a sober check.
  • When choosing among Molecular Cell, Cell, Cell Reports, and the strong field competitors (NSMB, EMBO J, Genes & Dev, Nucleic Acids Research).

Molecular Cell's home domains

Molecular Cell publishes mechanism in a defined set of areas. Confirm your work sits squarely in one:

  • Gene expression — transcription, RNA Pol I/II/III mechanism, splicing, translation.
  • Chromatin & epigenetics — nucleosome dynamics, histone modification, remodelers, 3D genome.
  • RNA biology — ncRNA, RNA modification, RNP assembly, decay, RNA–protein interactions.
  • DNA replication, repair & recombination — replisome, damage response, checkpoint.
  • Signaling — molecular logic of a pathway at the level of the modified residue.
  • Proteostasis — folding, degradation (UPS, autophagy), stress responses, condensates.
  • Protein structure/function — structure used to decide a mechanism, not to describe a fold.

If the work is molecular but has no deep mechanism, or is broad but shallow, reconsider the venue.

The "deep mechanism" test

Molecular Cell wants the how nailed down. Ask:

  • Mechanism: do you explain the molecular event (which residue, base, bond, interface, step) — not just the pathway cartoon?
  • Orthogonality: do ≥2 independent approaches converge — e.g., biochemistry + structure, genetics + genomics, single-molecule + reconstitution?
  • Causality: separation-of-function or point-mutant evidence that ties the mechanism to the phenotype (not just knockout of the whole protein)?
  • Physiological relevance: does the mechanism operate in cells/organisms, not only in the tube?
  • Reconstitution (where feasible): can you rebuild the activity from defined components?

If mechanism / orthogonality / causality / physiological relevance are not all addressed, it is likely not yet a Molecular Cell paper — name the experiment that closes the gap.

Mechanistic-depth ladder (weak → strong)

  1. Reports a phenotype or correlation, mechanism proposed only. (Weak — not Mol. Cell.)
  2. Localizes the effect to a protein/complex without the molecular step. (Borderline — Cell Reports.)
  3. Defines the molecular mechanism with one strong approach + validation. (Strong — Molecular Cell.)
  4. Reconstitutes/visualizes the mechanism with orthogonal biochemistry + structure/single-molecule and separation-of-function mutants. (Strongest — Molecular Cell.)
  5. Rewrites the accepted molecular model of a process with decisive, multi-angle evidence. (Cell or Molecular Cell.)

If you cannot place the work at rung 3+ with orthogonal validation, Molecular Cell is a long shot — name the realistic venue honestly.

Show full SKILL.md (218 more words)Show less

Fatal pre-review-reject triggers

  • Descriptive / correlative — a phenotype or ChIP/RNA-seq correlation with no molecular cause.
  • Single technique carrying the whole mechanistic claim.
  • Mechanism asserted, not demonstrated — a model cartoon unsupported by point mutants or reconstitution.
  • Over-interpreted structure — a coordinate set with functional claims the data don't test.
  • No physiological validation — an in-vitro activity never shown to matter in cells/in vivo.
  • No reagent/data transparency — undeposited data, unshared constructs, no RRIDs.
  • Scope mismatch — broad significance but shallow mechanism → Cell, not Molecular Cell.

Venue routing within Cell Press and beyond

SituationRecommend
Rung 3–5, deep mechanism, orthogonal validation, physiologicalMolecular Cell (Article)
Rung 4–5 and broad cross-field significance / complete storyalso consider Cell
Solid and complete but mechanism not deep / less rigorousCell Reports (more accepting)
One decisive, fully validated mechanistic point, compactMolecular Cell Short Article
Structure-led mechanism, specialist depthNSMB / Structure
Mechanism localized but not yet molecularadd point-mutant / reconstitution before submitting

Output format

【Depth rung】 1–5 + one-line justification
【Deep-mechanism test】 mechanism / orthogonality / causality / physiological / reconstitution → which are met
【Domain fit】 which Mol. Cell home domain (or scope mismatch)
【Fatal triggers present】 [...]
【Recommended venue】 Molecular Cell / Cell / Cell Reports / NSMB-EMBO / other
【If staying with Mol. Cell, the one-line mechanistic advance】 "..."
【Gap-closing experiment, if any】 ...
【Next】 molcell-framing (if pass) | reconsider venue (if fail)

Anti-patterns

  • Do not mistake a strong phenotype for a mechanism — Molecular Cell wants the molecular step.
  • Do not call two runs of the same assay "orthogonal validation."
  • Do not confuse a beautiful structure with a tested mechanism.
  • Do not let sunk cost drive the venue call; Cell Reports is an honest landing spot.

Confirm scope expectations against the current Molecular Cell information-for-authors page and recent issues.

© brycewang-stanford, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in Molecular-Cell-Skills/skills/molcell-fit of brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 932eb23

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Data Finderbrycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills4.6k—~1.7kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Weakness Scannerflonat/flonat-research146—~1.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Ecta Identificationfranklee16/academic-research-skills2231 repos~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassNone

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Questions about Molcell Fit

What does Molcell Fit do?

A skill your agent uses when triaging a study before any writing — stress-tests whether it clears Molecular Cell's bar (a deep molecular mechanism proven by orthogonal approaches with physiological…. Molcell Fit is an agent skill from brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills. Use when triaging a study before any writing — stress-tests whether it clears Molecular Cell's bar (a deep molecular mechanism proven by orthogonal approaches with physiological relevance) or belongs at a sibling.

When should I use Molcell Fit?

Molcell Fit fits situations like: belongs at a sibling; tasks that involve Load testing.

How do I install Molcell Fit in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill molcell-fit -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (Molecular-Cell-Skills/skills/molcell-fit in brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills) into .claude/skills/molcell-fit in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Molcell Fit in Codex?

Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill molcell-fit -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (Molecular-Cell-Skills/skills/molcell-fit in brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills) into .agents/skills/molcell-fit in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Molcell Fit in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill molcell-fit -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/molcell-fit, .gemini/skills/molcell-fit, .github/skills/molcell-fit and .opencode/skills/molcell-fit in your project.

What does Molcell Fit need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Molcell Fit is instructions for the agent only.

Does Molcell Fit access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Molcell Fit safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Molcell Fit use?

Molcell Fit is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Molcell Fit use?

About 1.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.3k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Molcell Fit?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Molcell Fit: What If Oracle (K-Dense-AI/scientific-agent-skills, 48k stars), Paper Review (EvoScientist/EvoSkills, 478 stars), Data Finder (brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills, 4.6k stars) and Weakness Scanner (flonat/flonat-research, 146 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Molcell Fit?

brycewang-stanford (a GitHub user) maintains it in brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills, which has 1,231 GitHub stars. The repository holds 2,387 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 27, 2026.

Source: brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.