Agent skill

Gtex Database

by google-deepmind in google-deepmind/science-skills

A skill your agent uses when you want to retrieve quantitative RNA expression data and variant eQTL information from the GTEx (Genotype-Tissue Expression) Project across 54 non-diseased tissue sites.

Apache-2.0Auto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Gtex Database

skills CLI
$ npx skills add google-deepmind/science-skills --skill gtex-database -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install google-deepmind/science-skills gtex-database --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/google-deepmind/science-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/gtex_database .claude/skills/gtex-database && 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
gtex-database
GitHub stars
3.2k
Used in
3 other repos
Token cost
~1.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
607 words
Files
3 (incl. scripts, references)
Skills in repo
40
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

A skill your agent uses when you want to retrieve quantitative RNA expression data and variant eQTL information from the GTEx (Genotype-Tissue Expression) Project across 54 non-diseased tissue sites.

  • Works in 5 steps: resolve-gencode-id — Gene Symbol →… → get-median-expression — Get Median… → get-top-expressed-tissues — Get Top… → …
  • Research & Science work in your project
  • SKILL.md covers Prerequisites, When to Use, Core Rules and Command Selection Guide, plus 3 more sections
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls uv

What it does

Gtex Database is an agent skill from google-deepmind/science-skills. Use when you want to retrieve quantitative RNA expression data and variant eQTL information from the GTEx (Genotype-Tissue Expression) Project across 54 non-diseased tissue sites.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 4 other files, including scripts and reference files (for example `scripts/gtex_cli.py`).

It sits in Research & Science. The repository describes itself as: GDM Science Skills to speed up agentic scientific workflows with better grounding and higher token efficiency. Integrate insights from AlphaGenome, AFDB, UniProt and 30+ other… The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Research & Science work in your project

Example prompts

  • “/gtex-database”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. resolve-gencode-id — Gene Symbol → GENCODE ID
  2. get-median-expression — Get Median Expression (TPM)
  3. get-top-expressed-tissues — Get Top Expressed Tissues
  4. get-gene-eqtls — Get All eQTLs for a Gene
  5. get-eqtls-in-region — Get eQTLs in Chromosomal Region

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6883275. 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

    Ships 1 file in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • uv

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

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • gtexportal.org

    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

Gtex Database loads about 1.5k tokens when it runs, and up to ~3k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 48 tokens; SKILL.md has 607 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~48
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.5k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~3k

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); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from google-deepmind/science-skills at commit 6883275, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© google-deepmind). 607 words, ~1,515 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/gtex-database/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 2 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
gtex-database
description
Use when you want to retrieve quantitative RNA expression data and variant eQTL information from the GTEx (Genotype-Tissue Expression) Project across 54 non-diseased tissue sites.

GTEx Database Integration

This skill retrieves transcriptomics data (RNA expression baselines) and expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTLs) from the GTEx Portal API V2. It provides access to median TPM (Transcripts Per Million) values for genes and significant eQTLs for variants across 54 human tissue sites.

Prerequisites

  1. uv: Read the uv skill and follow its Setup instructions to ensure uv is installed and on PATH.
  2. User Notification: If .licenses/gtex_database_LICENSE.txt does not already exist in the workspace root directory then (1) prominently notify the user to check the terms at https://gtexportal.org/home/license and https://gtexportal.org/home/documentationPage#gtexApi, then (2) create the file recording the notification text and timestamp.

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

  • Map a gene symbol to its Versioned GENCODE ID.
  • Retrieve the baseline median expression level (in TPM) of a gene across various tissues.
  • Find the top tissues where a particular gene is most highly expressed.
  • Fetch significant single-tissue eQTLs for a variant or within a chromosomal window.
  • Get all significant eQTLs associated with a specific gene.
  • Contextualise a variant within GWAS loci using eQTL data.

Do NOT use when you need to:

  • Query for protein-level expression or post-translational modifications (PTMs). GTEx only measures mRNA abundance.
  • Query gene expression in diseased tissues (e.g., tumor samples, cirrhosis). GTEx is a baseline atlas of normal, non-diseased tissues.
  • Query embryonic or fetal gene expression. GTEx donors are adults only.

Core Rules

CRITICAL: You MUST respect GTEx Portal API Terms of Use.

  • Use the Wrapper: ALWAYS execute the provided helper scripts to query the database rather than accessing the database directly. The scripts automatically enforce the required rate limit gracefully.
  • Limit requests to maximum 250 items per page where applicable.
  • Notification: If this skill is used, ensure this is mentioned in the output.

Command Selection Guide

Pick the right command on the first try. Match the user's input to the correct subcommand below.

  • Map a gene symbol to GENCODE ID: resolve-gencode-id
  • Get median expression (TPM) for a gene: get-median-expression
  • Find tissues with highest expression for a gene: get-top-expressed-tissues
  • Get all eQTLs for a specific gene: get-gene-eqtls
  • Find eQTLs within a chromosomal region: get-eqtls-in-region
Show full SKILL.md (255 more words)Show less

Quick Start

bash
# Map the TNF gene symbol to its GENCODE ID
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py resolve-gencode-id TNF --output /tmp/tnf_id.json

# Get median expression of a gene by GENCODE ID
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py get-median-expression ENSG00000232810.2 --output /tmp/tnf_expr.json

All subcommands write JSON to disk. Always save output in the /tmp/ directory. The default output file is /tmp/gtex_output.json if --output is not specified.

Commands

1. resolve-gencode-id — Gene Symbol → GENCODE ID

Maps a standard gene symbol (e.g., "JUN", "TNF") to its Versioned GENCODE ID. This ID is required for all other expression and eQTL calls.

bash
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py resolve-gencode-id TNF --output /tmp/tnf_id.json

Arguments:

  • gene_symbol (positional): The standard gene symbol (e.g., "TNF").
  • --output: Output file path (default: /tmp/gtex_output.json).
2. get-median-expression — Get Median Expression (TPM)

Retrieves the median TPM for a gene across all 54 GTEx tissue sites or specified tissues.

bash
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py get-median-expression ENSG00000232810.2 \
  --tissues "Whole Blood,Spleen" --output /tmp/expr.json

Arguments:

  • gencode_id (positional): The Versioned GENCODE ID.
  • --tissues: Comma-separated list of tissue IDs (optional, defaults to all 54 tissues).
  • --output: Output file path (default: /tmp/gtex_output.json).
3. get-top-expressed-tissues — Get Top Expressed Tissues

Returns the n tissues with the highest median expression for the target gene.

bash
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py get-top-expressed-tissues ENSG00000232810.2 \
  --n 5 --output /tmp/top_tissues.json

Arguments:

  • gencode_id (positional): The Versioned GENCODE ID.
  • --n: Number of top tissues to return (default: 5).
  • --output: Output file path.
4. get-gene-eqtls — Get All eQTLs for a Gene

Returns every significant eQTL associated with the gene across specified tissues.

bash
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py get-gene-eqtls ENSG00000232810.2 \
  --tissues "Whole Blood" --output /tmp/eqtls.json

Arguments:

  • gencode_id (positional): The Versioned GENCODE ID.
  • --tissues: Comma-separated list of tissue IDs (optional, defaults to all).
  • --output: Output file path.
5. get-eqtls-in-region — Get eQTLs in Chromosomal Region

Returns all significant single-tissue eQTLs within a chromosomal window (up to 8Mb).

bash
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py get-eqtls-in-region chr17 7000000 7100000 "Esophagus - Muscularis" \
  --output /tmp/region_eqtls.json

Arguments:

  • chromosome (positional): Chromosome name (e.g., chr17).
  • start (positional): Start position.
  • end (positional): End position (max 8Mb from start).
  • tissue_id (positional): The target tissue ID.
  • --output: Output file path.

Typical Workflows

Identify highest expressing tissues for a gene
bash
# Step 1: Map symbol to GENCODE ID
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py resolve-gencode-id GATA4 --output /tmp/gata4_id.json

# Step 2: Query for top tissues using the resolved ID
uv run scripts/gtex_cli.py get-top-expressed-tissues <gencode_id> --n 5 \
  --output /tmp/gata4_top.json

© google-deepmind, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 2 other files (scripts, references) in skills/gtex_database of google-deepmind/science-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/citation.bib
  • scripts/gtex_cli.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6883275

Used in 3 other repositories

We found 4 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 3 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in google-deepmind/science-skills, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Gtex Database next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

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Questions about Gtex Database

What does Gtex Database do?

A skill your agent uses when you want to retrieve quantitative RNA expression data and variant eQTL information from the GTEx (Genotype-Tissue Expression) Project across 54 non-diseased tissue sites. Gtex Database is an agent skill from google-deepmind/science-skills. Use when you want to retrieve quantitative RNA expression data and variant eQTL information from the GTEx (Genotype-Tissue Expression) Project across 54 non-diseased tissue sites.

When should I use Gtex Database?

Gtex Database fits situations like: research & Science work in your project.

How do I install Gtex Database in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add google-deepmind/science-skills --skill gtex-database -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/gtex_database in google-deepmind/science-skills) into .claude/skills/gtex-database in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Gtex Database in Codex?

Run `npx skills add google-deepmind/science-skills --skill gtex-database -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/gtex_database in google-deepmind/science-skills) into .agents/skills/gtex-database in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Gtex Database 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 google-deepmind/science-skills --skill gtex-database -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/gtex-database, .gemini/skills/gtex-database, .github/skills/gtex-database and .opencode/skills/gtex-database in your project.

What does Gtex Database need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Gtex Database needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (uv). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Gtex Database access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. As links in the text: gtexportal.org. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Gtex Database 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. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does Gtex Database use?

Gtex Database is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Gtex Database use?

About 1.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.1k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 1.5k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Gtex Database?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Gtex Database: Hypothesis Generation (spacering-net/codeg, 3.8k stars), GitHub Deep Research (bytedance/deer-flow, 83k stars), Nature Paper Card (Yuan1z0825/nature-skills, 46k stars) and Read arXiv Paper (karpathy/nanochat, 58k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Gtex Database?

google-deepmind (a GitHub organization) maintains it in google-deepmind/science-skills, which has 3,220 GitHub stars. The repository holds 40 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 15, 2026.

Source: google-deepmind/science-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.