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bioRxiv access using API with support of time period and category
by
aquaskyline
· GitHub ↗
· v1.0.0
· MIT-0
284
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Install in OpenClaw
/install biorxiv-openclaw-skill
Description
Access and retrieve biology preprints from bioRxiv by category and date range, including paper metadata without needing authentication.
README (SKILL.md)
bioRxiv Skill
This skill provides access to the bioRxiv preprint repository using the official bioRxiv API.
When to Use
- User asks for recent biology preprints
- User wants papers from specific bioRxiv categories (bioinformatics, genomics, etc.)
- User needs paper metadata (title, authors, DOI, date, category)
- User asks for preprints from a specific date range
Quick Start
List Available Collections
python scripts/biorxiv.py --list
Fetch Recent Papers
# Default: bioinformatics papers
python scripts/biorxiv.py --collection bioinformatics
# Other collections
python scripts/biorxiv.py --collection genomics
python scripts/biorxiv.py --collection neuroscience
python scripts/biorxiv.py --collection microbiology
# Specific date range
python scripts/biorxiv.py --collection bioinformatics --start 2026-03-01 --end 2026-03-09
# Limit results
python scripts/biorxiv.py --collection bioinformatics --limit 10
Output as JSON
python scripts/biorxiv.py --collection bioinformatics --json
Available Collections
- bioinformatics
- genomics
- molecular-biology
- cell-biology
- genetics
- evolutionary-biology
- ecology
- neuroscience
- plant-biology
- microbiology
- immunology
- cancer-biology
- biochemistry
- biophysics
- structural-biology
- systems-biology
- synthetic-biology
- developmental-biology
- computational-biology
API Notes
Official bioRxiv API
- Base URL:
https://api.biorxiv.org/details/biorxiv/{start_date}/{end_date}/{cursor} - No authentication required
- Returns up to 100 papers per call
- Supports category filtering via query parameter
API Endpoints
/details/biorxiv/[start]/[end]/[cursor]— Paper metadata/pub/[start]/[end]/[cursor]— Published articles only
Usage Patterns
Summarize Recent Papers
- Fetch papers from desired collection
- Parse titles and abstracts
- Group by theme if multiple
- Provide concise summary
Find Papers by Topic
- Search across multiple relevant collections
- Filter by keywords in titles
- Return most relevant results
Usage Guidance
This skill appears coherent and low-risk: it only makes HTTPS requests to the public bioRxiv API and prints results, and it asks for no credentials or installs. Before installing: (1) Review the minor functional mismatches (the script defaults start_date to 2020-01-01 which may return a very large result set; if you expect 'last N days' behavior, the script may not do that), (2) Verify the collections/category names you need—the code maps hyphenated names to underscore API categories, which is fine but worth checking against the live API, (3) Run the script in a sandbox or with network monitoring if you want to confirm its outbound calls (it should call only api.biorxiv.org), and (4) If you need abstracts or summarization, note the shipped script may not return abstracts and additional processing would be required. Overall the skill is consistent with its stated purpose.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: biorxiv-openclaw-skill
Version: 1.0.0
The skill bundle is a legitimate tool for fetching scientific preprints from the official bioRxiv API. The Python script (scripts/biorxiv.py) uses standard libraries to perform HTTP GET requests and process JSON data without any evidence of malicious intent, data exfiltration, or unauthorized system access.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
The name/description (fetch bioRxiv preprints by category/date) matches the included script and documentation; no credentials or installs are requested. Minor inconsistencies: SKILL.md and the script disagree about default date behavior (SKILL.md implies recent/last-N-days usage, while the script defaults to start_date="2020-01-01" if none provided), and the references/docs use slightly different example endpoint forms. These are implementation or documentation mismatches, not evidence of malicious intent.
Instruction Scope
Runtime instructions simply call the included Python script to query the public API and print JSON/text. The SKILL.md suggests parsing abstracts and grouping themes, but the shipped script returns title/author/doi/date/category/version and does not explicitly fetch or summarize abstracts—this is a functional mismatch rather than a security issue. The instructions do not ask the agent to read unrelated files, environment variables, or contact unknown endpoints.
Install Mechanism
No install spec is provided (instruction-only with an included script). No external downloads, package installs, or archive extraction are performed by the skill.
Credentials
The skill requests no environment variables or credentials. The Python script makes outbound HTTPS requests to api.biorxiv.org (the declared public API) and formats DOI links; it does not access secrets or local config files.
Persistence & Privilege
always is false and the skill does not request persistent/system-wide changes. The default model-invocation behavior (agent may call the skill autonomously) is unchanged and appropriate for this kind of integration.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install biorxiv-openclaw-skill - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/biorxiv-openclaw-skill - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
bio version 1.0.0
- Initial release with core functionality for writing and managing professional bios across various platforms and contexts.
- Adapts bios for specific uses (LinkedIn, speaker introduction, website, press kit, conference, etc.), maintaining consistent voice and narrative.
- Integrates credentials into narrative rather than lists, and generates multiple opening sentence options matched to context.
- Tracks and prompts for bio updates when significant career changes occur.
- Added: SKILL.md, references/api.md, scripts/biorxiv.py; Removed: skill.md.
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bioRxiv access using API with support of time period and category?
Access and retrieve biology preprints from bioRxiv by category and date range, including paper metadata without needing authentication. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 284 downloads so far.
How do I install bioRxiv access using API with support of time period and category?
Run "/install biorxiv-openclaw-skill" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is bioRxiv access using API with support of time period and category free?
Yes, bioRxiv access using API with support of time period and category is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does bioRxiv access using API with support of time period and category support?
bioRxiv access using API with support of time period and category is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created bioRxiv access using API with support of time period and category?
It is built and maintained by aquaskyline (@aquaskyline); the current version is v1.0.0.
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