Query the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) for cancer cell line gene dependency scores (CRISPR Chronos), drug sensitivity data, and gene effect profiles.

CC-BY-4.0Auto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Depmap

skills CLI
$ npx skills add LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills --skill depmap -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills depmap --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/LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/'skills/07-临床医学与精准医疗/depmap' .claude/skills/depmap && 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
depmap
GitHub stars
943
Used in
2 other repos
Token cost
~2.8k tokens
SKILL.md length
608 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
31
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
CC-BY-4.0

At a glance

Query the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) for cancer cell line gene dependency scores (CRISPR Chronos), drug sensitivity data, and gene effect profiles.

  • Works in 6 steps: DepMap API → Gene Dependency Scores → Download-Based Analysis (Recommended for… → …
  • Identifying cancer-specific vulnerabilities
  • SKILL.md covers Overview, When to Use This Skill, Core Concepts and Core Capabilities, plus 4 more sections
  • Reaches depmap.org and figshare.com

What it does

Depmap is an agent skill from LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills. Query the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) for cancer cell line gene dependency scores (CRISPR Chronos), drug sensitivity data, and gene effect profiles. Use for identifying cancer-specific vulnerabilities, synthetic lethal interactions, and validating oncology drug targets.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.8k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/dependency_analysis.md`).

It sits in Research & Science. The repository describes itself as: A curated, multilingual library of 182 installable AI agent skills for end-to-end academic research—spanning literature discovery, scientific writing, grant development… The licence is CC-BY-4.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Identifying cancer-specific vulnerabilities
  • Synthetic lethal interactions
  • Validating oncology drug targets

Example prompts

  • “/depmap”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

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

  1. DepMap API
  2. Gene Dependency Scores
  3. Download-Based Analysis (Recommended for Large Queries)
  4. Identifying Selective Dependencies
  5. Biomarker Analysis (Gene Effect vs. Mutation)
  6. Co-Essentiality Analysis

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit df5a498. 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 (its code samples are python).

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

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • depmap.org
    • figshare.com

    Also links to:

    • github.com

    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

Depmap loads about 2.8k tokens when it runs, and up to ~4.3k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 70 tokens; SKILL.md has 608 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~70
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.8k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~4.3k

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); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills at commit df5a498, republished under its CC-BY-4.0 licence (© LeonChaoX). 608 words, ~2,814 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/depmap/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
depmap
description
Query the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) for cancer cell line gene dependency scores (CRISPR Chronos), drug sensitivity data, and gene effect profiles. Use for identifying cancer-specific vulnerabilities, synthetic lethal interactions, and validating oncology drug targets.
license
CC-BY-4.0
metadata.skill-author
Kuan-lin Huang

DepMap — Cancer Dependency Map

Overview

The Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) project, run by the Broad Institute, systematically characterizes genetic dependencies across hundreds of cancer cell lines using genome-wide CRISPR knockout screens (DepMap CRISPR), RNA interference (RNAi), and compound sensitivity assays (PRISM). DepMap data is essential for:

  • Identifying which genes are essential for specific cancer types
  • Finding cancer-selective dependencies (therapeutic targets)
  • Validating oncology drug targets
  • Discovering synthetic lethal interactions

Key resources:

When to Use This Skill

Use DepMap when:

  • Target validation: Is a gene essential for survival in cancer cell lines with a specific mutation (e.g., KRAS-mutant)?
  • Biomarker discovery: What genomic features predict sensitivity to knockout of a gene?
  • Synthetic lethality: Find genes that are selectively essential when another gene is mutated/deleted
  • Drug sensitivity: What cell line features predict response to a compound?
  • Pan-cancer essentiality: Is a gene broadly essential across all cancer types (bad target) or selectively essential?
  • Correlation analysis: Which pairs of genes have correlated dependency profiles (co-essentiality)?

Core Concepts

Dependency Scores
ScoreRangeMeaning
Chronos (CRISPR)~ -3 to 0+More negative = more essential. Common essential threshold: −1. Pan-essential genes ~−1 to −2
RNAi DEMETER2~ -3 to 0+Similar scale to Chronos
Gene EffectnormalizedNormalized Chronos; −1 = median effect of common essential genes

Key thresholds:

  • Chronos ≤ −0.5: likely dependent
  • Chronos ≤ −1: strongly dependent (common essential range)
Cell Line Annotations

Each cell line has:

  • DepMap_ID: unique identifier (e.g., ACH-000001)
  • cell_line_name: human-readable name
  • primary_disease: cancer type
  • lineage: broad tissue lineage
  • lineage_subtype: specific subtype

Core Capabilities

1. DepMap API
python
import requests
import pandas as pd

BASE_URL = "https://depmap.org/portal/api"

def depmap_get(endpoint, params=None):
    url = f"{BASE_URL}/{endpoint}"
    response = requests.get(url, params=params)
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()
2. Gene Dependency Scores
python
def get_gene_dependency(gene_symbol, dataset="Chronos_Combined"):
    """Get CRISPR dependency scores for a gene across all cell lines."""
    url = f"{BASE_URL}/gene"
    params = {
        "gene_id": gene_symbol,
        "dataset": dataset
    }
    response = requests.get(url, params=params)
    return response.json()

# Alternatively, use the /data endpoint:
def get_dependencies_slice(gene_symbol, dataset_name="CRISPRGeneEffect"):
    """Get a gene's dependency slice from a dataset."""
    url = f"{BASE_URL}/data/gene_dependency"
    params = {"gene_name": gene_symbol, "dataset_name": dataset_name}
    response = requests.get(url, params=params)
    data = response.json()
    return data

For large-scale analysis, download DepMap data files and analyze locally:

python
import pandas as pd
import requests, os

def download_depmap_data(url, output_path):
    """Download a DepMap data file."""
    response = requests.get(url, stream=True)
    with open(output_path, 'wb') as f:
        for chunk in response.iter_content(chunk_size=8192):
            f.write(chunk)

# DepMap 24Q4 data files (update version as needed)
FILES = {
    "crispr_gene_effect": "https://figshare.com/ndownloader/files/...",
    # OR download from: https://depmap.org/portal/download/all/
    # Files available:
    # CRISPRGeneEffect.csv - Chronos gene effect scores
    # OmicsExpressionProteinCodingGenesTPMLogp1.csv - mRNA expression
    # OmicsSomaticMutationsMatrixDamaging.csv - mutation binary matrix
    # OmicsCNGene.csv - copy number
    # sample_info.csv - cell line metadata
}

def load_depmap_gene_effect(filepath="CRISPRGeneEffect.csv"):
    """
    Load DepMap CRISPR gene effect matrix.
    Rows = cell lines (DepMap_ID), Columns = genes (Symbol (EntrezID))
    """
    df = pd.read_csv(filepath, index_col=0)
    # Rename columns to gene symbols only
    df.columns = [col.split(" ")[0] for col in df.columns]
    return df

def load_cell_line_info(filepath="sample_info.csv"):
    """Load cell line metadata."""
    return pd.read_csv(filepath)
4. Identifying Selective Dependencies
python
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

def find_selective_dependencies(gene_effect_df, cell_line_info, target_gene,
                                 cancer_type=None, threshold=-0.5):
    """Find cell lines selectively dependent on a gene."""

    # Get scores for target gene
    if target_gene not in gene_effect_df.columns:
        return None

    scores = gene_effect_df[target_gene].dropna()
    dependent = scores[scores <= threshold]

    # Add cell line info
    result = pd.DataFrame({
        "DepMap_ID": dependent.index,
        "gene_effect": dependent.values
    }).merge(cell_line_info[["DepMap_ID", "cell_line_name", "primary_disease", "lineage"]])

    if cancer_type:
        result = result[result["primary_disease"].str.contains(cancer_type, case=False, na=False)]

    return result.sort_values("gene_effect")

# Example usage (after loading data)
# df_effect = load_depmap_gene_effect("CRISPRGeneEffect.csv")
# cell_info = load_cell_line_info("sample_info.csv")
# deps = find_selective_dependencies(df_effect, cell_info, "KRAS", cancer_type="Lung")
5. Biomarker Analysis (Gene Effect vs. Mutation)
python
import pandas as pd
from scipy import stats

def biomarker_analysis(gene_effect_df, mutation_df, target_gene, biomarker_gene):
    """
    Test if mutation in biomarker_gene predicts dependency on target_gene.

    Args:
        gene_effect_df: CRISPR gene effect DataFrame
        mutation_df: Binary mutation DataFrame (1 = mutated)
        target_gene: Gene to assess dependency of
        biomarker_gene: Gene whose mutation may predict dependency
    """
    if target_gene not in gene_effect_df.columns or biomarker_gene not in mutation_df.columns:
        return None

    # Align cell lines
    common_lines = gene_effect_df.index.intersection(mutation_df.index)
    scores = gene_effect_df.loc[common_lines, target_gene].dropna()
    mutations = mutation_df.loc[scores.index, biomarker_gene]

    mutated = scores[mutations == 1]
    wt = scores[mutations == 0]

    stat, pval = stats.mannwhitneyu(mutated, wt, alternative='less')

    return {
        "target_gene": target_gene,
        "biomarker_gene": biomarker_gene,
        "n_mutated": len(mutated),
        "n_wt": len(wt),
        "mean_effect_mutated": mutated.mean(),
        "mean_effect_wt": wt.mean(),
        "pval": pval,
        "significant": pval < 0.05
    }
6. Co-Essentiality Analysis
python
import pandas as pd

def co_essentiality(gene_effect_df, target_gene, top_n=20):
    """Find genes with most correlated dependency profiles (co-essential partners)."""
    if target_gene not in gene_effect_df.columns:
        return None

    target_scores = gene_effect_df[target_gene].dropna()

    correlations = {}
    for gene in gene_effect_df.columns:
        if gene == target_gene:
            continue
        other_scores = gene_effect_df[gene].dropna()
        common = target_scores.index.intersection(other_scores.index)
        if len(common) < 50:
            continue
        r = target_scores[common].corr(other_scores[common])
        if not pd.isna(r):
            correlations[gene] = r

    corr_series = pd.Series(correlations).sort_values(ascending=False)
    return corr_series.head(top_n)

# Co-essential genes often share biological complexes or pathways

Query Workflows

Workflow 1: Target Validation for a Cancer Type
  1. Download CRISPRGeneEffect.csv and sample_info.csv
  2. Filter cell lines by cancer type
  3. Compute mean gene effect for target gene in cancer vs. all others
  4. Calculate selectivity: how specific is the dependency to your cancer type?
  5. Cross-reference with mutation, expression, or CNA data as biomarkers
Show full SKILL.md (252 more words)Show less
Workflow 2: Synthetic Lethality Screen
  1. Identify cell lines with mutation/deletion in gene of interest (e.g., BRCA1-mutant)
  2. Compute gene effect scores for all genes in mutant vs. WT lines
  3. Identify genes significantly more essential in mutant lines (synthetic lethal partners)
  4. Filter by selectivity and effect size
Workflow 3: Compound Sensitivity Analysis
  1. Download PRISM compound sensitivity data (primary-screen-replicate-treatment-info.csv)
  2. Correlate compound AUC/log2(fold-change) with genomic features
  3. Identify predictive biomarkers for compound sensitivity

DepMap Data Files Reference

FileDescription
CRISPRGeneEffect.csvCRISPR Chronos gene effect (primary dependency data)
CRISPRGeneEffectUnscaled.csvUnscaled CRISPR scores
RNAi_merged.csvDEMETER2 RNAi dependency
sample_info.csvCell line metadata (lineage, disease, etc.)
OmicsExpressionProteinCodingGenesTPMLogp1.csvmRNA expression
OmicsSomaticMutationsMatrixDamaging.csvDamaging somatic mutations (binary)
OmicsCNGene.csvCopy number per gene
PRISM_Repurposing_Primary_Screens_Data.csvDrug sensitivity (repurposing library)

Download all files from: https://depmap.org/portal/download/all/

Best Practices

  • Use Chronos scores (not DEMETER2) for current CRISPR analyses — better controlled for cutting efficiency
  • Distinguish pan-essential from cancer-selective: Target genes with low variance (essential in all lines) are poor drug targets
  • Validate with expression data: A gene not expressed in a cell line will score as non-essential regardless of actual function
  • Use DepMap ID for cell line identification — cell_line_name can be ambiguous
  • Account for copy number: Amplified genes may appear essential due to copy number effect (junk DNA hypothesis)
  • Multiple testing correction: When computing biomarker associations genome-wide, apply FDR correction

Additional Resources

© LeonChaoX, CC-BY-4.0. 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 1 other file (references) in skills/07-临床医学与精准医疗/depmap of LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/dependency_analysis.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit df5a498

Used in 2 other repositories

We found 2 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 2 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills, which our catalogue first saw on October 9, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Depmap 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.

Depmap compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Depmap this skillLeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills9432 repos~2.8kAutomated safety check: PassCC-BY-4.0
Hypothesis Generationspacering-net/codeg3.9k14 repos~3.6kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
GitHub Deep Researchbytedance/deer-flow84k4 repos~1.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Nature Paper CardYuan1z0825/nature-skills47k2 repos~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Content Research Writerweapp-tailwindcss/weapp-tailwindcss1.9k25 repos~3.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Peer Reviewspacering-net/codeg3.9k17 repos~5.9kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT

Similar skills

  • Hypothesis Generation

    spacering-net/codeg

    Structured hypothesis formulation from observations. An agent skill from spacering-net/codeg.

    3.9k GitHub starsUsed in 14 repos~3.6k tokens
    Research & ScienceAuto-check: notes
  • GitHub Deep Research

    bytedance/deer-flow

    Researches a GitHub repository over four rounds using the GitHub API and web search, then writes a structured markdown report with timeline, metrics and Mermaid diagrams.

    84k GitHub starsUsed in 4 repos~1.3k tokens
    Research & ScienceAuto-check passed
  • Nature Paper Card

    Yuan1z0825/nature-skills

    Builds a structured deep-reading card for one scientific paper, covering methods, how experiments support claims, limitations and research ideas, with a script to prepare the source.

    47k GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~2.1k tokens
    Research & ScienceAuto-check passed
  • Content Research Writer

    weapp-tailwindcss/weapp-tailwindcss

    Assists in writing high-quality content by conducting research, adding citations, improving hooks, iterating on outlines, and providing real-time feedback on each section.

    1.9k GitHub starsUsed in 25 repos~3.5k tokens
    Research & ScienceAuto-check passed
  • Peer Review

    spacering-net/codeg

    Structured manuscript/grant review with checklist-based evaluation.

    3.9k GitHub starsUsed in 17 repos~5.9k tokens
    Research & ScienceAuto-check: notes
  • Last30days

    mvanhorn/last30days-skill

    Research what people actually say about any topic in the last 30 days.

    64k GitHub stars~7.9k tokensUpdated yesterday
    Research & ScienceAuto-check: notes

More from LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills

All 31 skills in this repo
  • Paper Slide Deck

    LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills

    Generate professional slide deck images from academic papers and content.

    943 GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~4.6k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Parallel Web

    LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills

    Search the web, extract URL content, and run deep research using the Parallel Chat API and Extract API.

    943 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~2.9k tokens
    Auto-check: notes
  • Research Proposal

    LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills

    Generate academic research proposals for PhD applications. An agent skill from LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills.

    943 GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~4.8k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Medical Imaging Review

    LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills

    Write comprehensive literature reviews for medical imaging AI research.

    943 GitHub starsUsed in 3 repos~1.1k tokens
    Auto-check: notes
  • Phylogenetics

    LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills

    Build and analyze phylogenetic trees using MAFFT (multiple alignment), IQ-TREE 2 (maximum likelihood), and FastTree (fast NJ/ML).

    943 GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~3.5k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Dhdna Profiler

    LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills

    Extract cognitive patterns and thinking fingerprints from any text.

    943 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~2.4k tokens
    Auto-check passed

Questions about Depmap

What does Depmap do?

Query the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) for cancer cell line gene dependency scores (CRISPR Chronos), drug sensitivity data, and gene effect profiles. Depmap is an agent skill from LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills. Query the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) for cancer cell line gene dependency scores (CRISPR Chronos), drug sensitivity data, and gene effect profiles.

When should I use Depmap?

Depmap fits situations like: identifying cancer-specific vulnerabilities; synthetic lethal interactions; validating oncology drug targets.

How do I install Depmap in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills --skill depmap -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/07-临床医学与精准医疗/depmap in LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills) into .claude/skills/depmap in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Depmap in Codex?

Run `npx skills add LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills --skill depmap -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/07-临床医学与精准医疗/depmap in LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills) into .agents/skills/depmap in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Depmap 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 LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills --skill depmap -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/depmap, .gemini/skills/depmap, .github/skills/depmap and .opencode/skills/depmap in your project.

What does Depmap need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Depmap is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Depmap access the network?

SKILL.md names 3 domains. In commands or code: depmap.org and figshare.com; the agent is likely to contact these when it follows the instructions. As links in the text: github.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Depmap 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 Depmap use?

Depmap is published under the CC-BY-4.0 licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Depmap use?

About 2.8k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 11k 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 1.4k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Depmap?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Depmap: Hypothesis Generation (spacering-net/codeg, 3.9k stars), GitHub Deep Research (bytedance/deer-flow, 84k stars), Nature Paper Card (Yuan1z0825/nature-skills, 47k stars) and Content Research Writer (weapp-tailwindcss/weapp-tailwindcss, 1.9k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Depmap?

LeonChaoX (a GitHub user) maintains it in LeonChaoX/qinyan-academic-skills, which has 943 GitHub stars. The repository holds 31 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on July 20, 2026.

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