Agent skill

Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency

by GPTomics in GPTomics/bioSkills

Quantify translation efficiency (TE) as ribosome occupancy relative to mRNA abundance and test for differential TE between conditions.

MITAuto-check passedWriting & Content

Install Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency

skills CLI
$ npx skills add GPTomics/bioSkills --skill bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install GPTomics/bioSkills bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency --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/GPTomics/bioSkills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/ribo-seq/translation-efficiency .claude/skills/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency && 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
bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency
GitHub stars
1.2k
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~2.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
973 words
Files
3
Skills in repo
559
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Quantify translation efficiency (TE) as ribosome occupancy relative to mRNA abundance and test for differential TE between conditions.

  • Separating translational from transcriptional regulation
  • SKILL.md covers Version Compatibility, The central trap: a ratio is…, Mode of regulation: control vs… and Differential-TE tool selection, plus 8 more sections
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls pip
  • Distinguishing genuine translational control from buffering

What it does

Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency is an agent skill from GPTomics/bioSkills. Quantify translation efficiency (TE) as ribosome occupancy relative to mRNA abundance and test for differential TE between conditions. Use when separating translational from transcriptional regulation, distinguishing genuine translational control from buffering, or choosing between riborex, Xtail, anota2seq, and DESeq2 interaction models.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 3 other files (for example `examples/calculate_te.py` and `usage-guide.md`).

It sits in Writing & Content, covering Translation. The repository describes itself as: a set of SKILLS.md for doing bioinformatics with agents like claude code. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Separating translational from transcriptional regulation
  • Distinguishing genuine translational control from buffering
  • Choosing between riborex
  • DESeq2 interaction models

Example prompts

  • “/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency”

Requirements

  • Python 3

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit d91ed3d. 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 script files (Python), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • pip

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

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use pip, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    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

Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency loads about 2.5k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 94 tokens; SKILL.md has 973 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~94
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.5k

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 GPTomics/bioSkills at commit d91ed3d, republished under its MIT licence (© GPTomics). 973 words, ~2,493 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 2 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency
description
Quantify translation efficiency (TE) as ribosome occupancy relative to mRNA abundance and test for differential TE between conditions. Use when separating translational from transcriptional regulation, distinguishing genuine translational control from buffering, or choosing between riborex, Xtail, anota2seq, and DESeq2 interaction models.
tool_type
mixed
primary_tool
riborex

Version Compatibility

Reference examples tested with: riborex 2.4+, xtail 1.1+, anota2seq 1.24+, DESeq2 1.42+, pandas 2.2+

Before using code patterns, verify installed versions match. If versions differ:

  • R: packageVersion('<pkg>') then ?function_name to verify parameters
  • Python: pip show <package> then help(module.function) to check signatures

If code throws ImportError, AttributeError, or TypeError, introspect the installed package and adapt the example to match the actual API rather than retrying.

Translation Efficiency

"Calculate translation efficiency from my Ribo-seq and RNA-seq" -> Compute footprint density relative to mRNA density per gene and test which genes change translation independently of transcription, distinguishing real translational control from buffering.

  • R: riborex (DESeq2/edgeR backend), Xtail, or anota2seq for differential TE
  • Python: per-gene TE ratio for ranking/visualization only

TE = RPF density / mRNA density over the SAME region. Both assays must come from matched samples and be counted over the CDS. TE isolates translational regulation and is a relative translation-rate proxy at steady state; occupancy is not protein output.

The central trap: a ratio is for ranking, not testing

The naive per-gene ratio (TPM_ribo/TPM_rna) is fine for ranking and plots but WRONG for differential testing: it ignores count heteroskedasticity, treating a gene with 5 reads like one with 5000. Differential TE is NOT "compute TE per condition then test the difference" -- it is a CONDITION x ASSAY INTERACTION on raw counts with proper negative-binomial dispersion modeling, where log2FC(TE) = log2FC(RPF) - log2FC(mRNA). The whole differential-TE field exists to do this interaction correctly.

Mode of regulation: control vs buffering

When both assays move, there are distinct biological modes that a single TE fold-change cannot separate:

ModeRPFmRNATEMeaning
mRNA abundanceupup~flattranscriptional, not translational
translation (forwarded)upflatupgenuine translational control -> protein changes
bufferingflatupdowntranslation absorbs the mRNA change, protein held constant

Buffering (a homeostatic mechanism) and genuine translational activation can produce the SAME |log2FC(TE)|. Calling a buffered gene "translationally activated" is a wrong conclusion. Only anota2seq formally names the mode, by regressing translated mRNA on total mRNA (analysis of partial variance).

Differential-TE tool selection

ToolStatisticNames bufferingBest when
riborexwraps DESeq2/edgeR/Voom on a merged interaction designnofast drop-in for DESeq2 users
Xtailtwo pipelines (FC-vs-FC, ratio-vs-ratio), reports the more conservativepartial (won't call a buffered gene a hit)conservative differential-TE calls + clean plots
anota2seqper-mRNA APV + random variance modelYESmode-of-regulation biology; the postdoc-grade choice
RiboDiffNB GLM, shared dispersion by defaultnofew replicates; CLI pipeline
DESeq2 interaction~assay+condition+assay:condition, Wald or LRTno (post-hoc)full control, custom contrasts, batch terms

Quick per-gene TE (ranking screen only)

Goal: Rank genes by TE for a quick look, not for inference.

Approach: Normalize both assays, take the log2 ratio over the CDS with a pseudocount.

python
import numpy as np

def log2_te(ribo_cds_tpm, rna_cds_tpm, pseudocount=0.1):
    '''Per-gene log2 TE for ranking/plots. Both inputs counted over the CDS.

    Pseudocount 0.1 TPM avoids log(0) and dampens low-count noise. Not for testing.
    '''
    return np.log2((ribo_cds_tpm + pseudocount) / (rna_cds_tpm + pseudocount))

Count BOTH assays over the CDS. Using full-transcript RNA against CDS-only RPF introduces a UTR-length confound (long-UTR genes look low-TE). Exclude the first ~15 and last ~5 codons of the CDS so initiation and termination peaks do not dominate the RPF count.

Differential TE with riborex

Goal: Test differential TE reusing a familiar DE engine.

Approach: Pass CDS count matrices and condition vectors; riborex builds the interaction design internally and returns DESeq2-format results.

r
library(riborex)

# rna_counts / ribo_counts: genes x samples integer CDS counts
res <- riborex(rnaCntTable = rna_counts, riboCntTable = ribo_counts,
               rnaCond = c("ctrl", "ctrl", "treat", "treat"),
               riboCond = c("ctrl", "ctrl", "treat", "treat"),
               engine = "DESeq2")
sig <- res[which(res$padj < 0.05), ]   # log2FoldChange is the TE change

Engines are "DESeq2" (default), "edgeR", "edgeRD", "Voom" (Voom is single-factor only).

Differential TE with anota2seq (names the mode)

Goal: Separate translation, buffering, and mRNA-abundance regulation.

Approach: Provide translated (RPF) and total (RNA) matrices, run the pipeline, then classify each gene's mode.

r
library(anota2seq)

ads <- anota2seqDataSetFromMatrix(dataP = ribo_counts, dataT = rna_counts,
                                  phenoVec = c("ctrl", "ctrl", "treat", "treat"),
                                  dataType = "RNAseq", normalize = TRUE)
ads <- anota2seqRun(ads, useRVM = TRUE)
ads <- anota2seqRegModes(ads)   # one mode per gene: translation > abundance > buffering
translation_hits <- anota2seqGetOutput(ads, analysis = "translation",
                                       output = "selected", selContrast = 1)
Show full SKILL.md (409 more words)Show less

Differential TE with a DESeq2 interaction

Goal: Full control over the interaction model.

Approach: Merge RPF and RNA counts, fit the interaction, and select the interaction coefficient by name from resultsNames (never hardcode it).

r
library(DESeq2)
counts <- cbind(ribo_counts, rna_counts)
coldata <- data.frame(
    condition = factor(rep(c("ctrl", "ctrl", "treat", "treat"), 2)),
    assay = factor(rep(c("ribo", "rna"), each = 4)))
dds <- DESeqDataSetFromMatrix(counts, coldata, ~ assay + condition + assay:condition)
dds <- DESeq(dds)

# The interaction name is auto-generated from factor levels; pick it programmatically.
# DESeq2 renders interaction coefficients with a DOT (e.g. assayrna.conditiontreat),
# while main effects use underscores -- so match the dot, not the formula's colon.
nm <- grep("\\.", resultsNames(dds), value = TRUE)
res_te <- results(dds, name = nm)

Size factors are estimated PER ASSAY (ribo among ribo, RNA among RNA); the implicit assumption is that the median gene's TE is unchanged. If a global translational shift is expected (e.g. mTOR inhibition), median normalization is violated and spike-ins are needed to anchor absolute scale.

Confounders to check

mRNA isoform switching changes the CDS/UTR counting region between conditions; UTR changes that alter uORF usage can make a main-ORF TE change SECONDARY to uORF regulation rather than direct translational control. Cross-check called ORFs and uORFs (see orf-detection) before attributing a TE shift to the main ORF.

Common Errors

SymptomCauseFix
Low-count genes dominate the hit listt-test/ratio on log-TEUse count-based GLM (riborex/Xtail/anota2seq/DESeq2)
Long-UTR genes systematically low TERNA counted over full transcript, RPF over CDSCount both over the CDS
results(dds, name='conditiontreat.assayribo') errorsHardcoded interaction nameSelect from resultsNames(dds) by the "." term (interaction coefficients render with a dot, not the formula's colon)
Unstable dispersion or anota2seq RVM warningsToo few replicates (n=2 as in the examples)Use >=3 replicates per condition per assay; n=2 is illustrative only
Buffered gene reported as translationally activatedSingle TE fold-change cannot separate modesUse anota2seq mode-of-regulation
TE shifts vanish or invert globallyGlobal translational change breaks median normalizationAdd spike-ins; do not assume median TE unchanged
Initiation peak inflates RPF countsWhole-CDS counting including start/stop peaksTrim first ~15 / last ~5 codons
  • ribosome-periodicity - Calibrate P-site offsets for CDS footprint counts
  • orf-detection - Rule out uORF-driven (secondary) TE changes
  • rna-quantification/featurecounts-counting - Generate matched RNA-seq CDS counts
  • differential-expression/deseq2-basics - Count-based DE foundations

References

  • Li W, Wang W, Uren PJ, Penalva LOF, Smith AD. 2017. Riborex: fast and flexible identification of differential translation from Ribo-seq data. Bioinformatics 33(11):1735-1737. doi:10.1093/bioinformatics/btx047
  • Xiao Z, Zou Q, Liu Y, Yang X. 2016. Genome-wide assessment of differential translations with ribosome profiling data. Nat Commun 7:11194. doi:10.1038/ncomms11194
  • Oertlin C, Lorent J, Murie C, Furic L, Topisirovic I, Larsson O. 2019. Generally applicable transcriptome-wide analysis of translation using anota2seq. Nucleic Acids Res 47(12):e70. doi:10.1093/nar/gkz223
  • Zhong Y, Karaletsos T, Drewe P, et al. 2017. RiboDiff: detecting changes of mRNA translation efficiency from ribosome footprints. Bioinformatics 33(1):139-141. doi:10.1093/bioinformatics/btw585
  • Love MI, Huber W, Anders S. 2014. Moderated estimation of fold change and dispersion for RNA-seq data with DESeq2. Genome Biol 15(12):550. doi:10.1186/s13059-014-0550-8

© GPTomics, MIT. 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 in ribo-seq/translation-efficiency of GPTomics/bioSkills.

  • SKILL.md
  • examples/calculate_te.py
  • usage-guide.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit d91ed3d

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in GPTomics/bioSkills, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

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Questions about Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency

What does Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency do?

Quantify translation efficiency (TE) as ribosome occupancy relative to mRNA abundance and test for differential TE between conditions. Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency is an agent skill from GPTomics/bioSkills. Quantify translation efficiency (TE) as ribosome occupancy relative to mRNA abundance and test for differential TE between conditions.

When should I use Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency?

Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency fits situations like: separating translational from transcriptional regulation; distinguishing genuine translational control from buffering; choosing between riborex; DESeq2 interaction models.

How do I install Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add GPTomics/bioSkills --skill bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (ribo-seq/translation-efficiency in GPTomics/bioSkills) into .claude/skills/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency in Codex?

Run `npx skills add GPTomics/bioSkills --skill bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (ribo-seq/translation-efficiency in GPTomics/bioSkills) into .agents/skills/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency 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 GPTomics/bioSkills --skill bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency, .gemini/skills/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency, .github/skills/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency and .opencode/skills/bio-ribo-seq-translation-efficiency in your project.

What does Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (pip). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use pip, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency 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 Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency use?

Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency 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 Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency use?

About 2.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 10k 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 Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency: Translation Diff Export (Devolutions/UniGetUI, 26k stars), Sync Translations (symfony/symfony, 31k stars), Translation Diff Import (Devolutions/UniGetUI, 26k stars) and Translation Diff Translate (Devolutions/UniGetUI, 26k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Bio Ribo Seq Translation Efficiency?

GPTomics (a GitHub organization) maintains it in GPTomics/bioSkills, which has 1,217 GitHub stars. The repository holds 559 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 15, 2026.

Source: GPTomics/bioSkills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.