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Protein Sequence Similarity Search

  • 1.3k installs
  • 2.6k repo stars
  • Updated July 7, 2026
  • google-deepmind/science-skills

protein-sequence-similarity-search is a bioinformatics agent skill that queries the ColabFold MMseqs2 API to retrieve homologous protein sequences and generate a ranked similarity report for developers who need fast homo

About

protein-sequence-similarity-search is a Google DeepMind science skill that submits a protein sequence to the ColabFold MMseqs2 server and returns homologous sequences in a ranked similarity report. Licensed under Apache 2.0, the skill automates quick protein homologue search without requiring developers to manually configure MMseqs2 infrastructure. Developers reach for it when building bioinformatics pipelines, validating sequence hypotheses, or integrating homology lookup into agent-driven scientific workflows. The workflow centers on API submission, result download, and structured ranking of similar sequences from the query input.

  • Submits protein sequences to the ColabFold MMseqs2 API for fast homologue detection
  • Downloads and parses MSA archives returning up to 300 alignment hits
  • Outputs a clean Markdown table of homologues sorted by E-value with bit score, identity, and target metadata
  • Includes built-in polling with 15-minute timeout and robust error handling for network issues
  • Designed as a reusable CLI agent skill for scientific workflows and bioinformatics agents

Protein Sequence Similarity Search by the numbers

  • 1,271 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • +169 installs in the week ending Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
  • Ranked #256 of 2,064 Data Science & ML skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Security screen: MEDIUM risk (skills.sh audit)
  • Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
npx skills add https://github.com/google-deepmind/science-skills --skill protein-sequence-similarity-search

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Last updatedJuly 7, 2026
Repositorygoogle-deepmind/science-skills

How do you search protein homologues with MMseqs2?

Quickly retrieve homologous protein sequences and generate a ranked similarity report from a query sequence.

Who is it for?

Developers and computational biologists who need quick homology search integrated into agent workflows without self-hosting MMseqs2.

Skip if: Developers who need structural prediction, molecular-dynamics simulation, or offline local BLAST pipelines instead of ColabFold MMseqs2 API lookup.

When should I use this skill?

A developer provides a protein sequence and asks for homologues, similarity search, or MMseqs2/ColabFold homology results.

What you get

Ranked homologous protein sequence similarity report from ColabFold MMseqs2 API results

  • Ranked homologous sequence report
  • MMseqs2 API search results

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

Prerequisites

1. `uv`: Read the uv skill and follow its Setup instructions to ensure uv is installed and on PATH. 2. User Notification: If LICENSE_NOTIFICATION.txt does not already exist in this skill directory then (1) prominently notify the user to check the terms at https://www.ebi.ac.uk/jdispatcher/sss/ncbiblast and https://colabfold.com, then (2) create the file recording the notification text and timestamp. 3. `.env` file: Make sure the .env file exists in your home directory. Create one if it does not exist. 4. `USER_EMAIL` (optional but recommended): Recommended by the EBI for BLAST job tracking, but the skill works without it. If the variable is missing from .env, do NOT ask the user to paste it into the chat (this would leak the value into the agent's context). Instead, give the user this command — substituting `ENV_FILE` with the resolved literal path to the `.env` file:

    printf "Enter contact email: " && read email && echo "USER_EMAIL=$email" >> "ENV_FILE" && echo "Saved."

The scripts load credentials automatically via dotenv. NEVER read, print, or inspect the .env file or its variables (e.g. no cat, grep, echo, printenv, or os.environ.get on keys). Credentials must stay out of the agent's context.

Goal

Take a user-provided amino acid sequence (or a path to a .fasta file), search for sequence homologues using the fastest available method, generate a Markdown-formatted table of the top hits, interpret key alignment metrics, summarize the inferred protein functions, and save results locally for future programmatic analysis.

Core Rules

  • Strict Validation: For BLAST, only use database codes listed in the

table below.

  • No Hallucinations: If a script throws an error or returns no hits,

inform the user clearly. Do NOT invent sequence homologues.

  • Do Not Parse Output Files: Do not parse the JSON, a3m, or any other raw

output files. Rely on the generated .md file for your summary. The JSON and other outputs are for subsequent tool use only.

  • Always State the Method: Every report must clearly state whether the

search used the quick MMseqs2 (ColabFold API) or the slower EBI BLAST method.

  • Notification: If this skill is used, ensure this is mentioned in the

output. Explicitly state that the corresponding program (MMSEQS2 or EBI BLAST) and Sequence Databases were used.

Search Method Selection

Choose the search method based on the user's request:

If the user says "quick search" or "fast search", no specific method requested / general homologue search, of if you are unsure: Run MMseqs2 (fast, default) using mmseqs2_search.py

If MMseqs2 fails (exit code 2: RATELIMIT or API error) or User explicitly requests "BLAST" or a specific BLAST database (e.g. uniprotkb_swissprot, pdb, uniprotkb_human): Run BLAST using uniprot_blast.py

Instructions

1. Identify the query from the user. It can be a raw sequence string (e.g., "MKVLY...") or a path to a local file (e.g., "./data/sequence.fasta").

2. Determine the search method using the list above.

Path A: MMseqs2 Search (Default)

1. Generate File Names: Generate descriptive output file names based on the input (e.g., proteinA_mmseqs2.json and proteinA_mmseqs2.md). 2. Execute the MMseqs2 script:

  • Default:
    uv run scripts/mmseqs2_search.py <SEQUENCE_OR_FILE> -o <generated-filename.md> -j <generated-filename.json>
  • With mgnify:
    uv run scripts/mmseqs2_search.py <SEQUENCE_OR_FILE> -o <generated-filename.md> -j <generated-filename.json> --include-mgnify

3. The script will query the ColabFold MMseqs2 API and poll for completion. This is typically fast (under 2 minutes).

4. If the script exits with code 2 (API failure, rate limit), automatically fall back to BLAST (Path B below). Inform the user: "MMseqs2 search failed, falling back to BLAST."

5. Read the Results: Open and read the generated .md file.

Path B: BLAST Search (Explicit or Fallback)

1. Database Selection & Validation: Determine the most appropriate database(s) based on the user's prompt.

  • Consult the Available BLAST Databases table below.
  • If the user specifies a taxonomic group (e.g., "Find homologues in

microbes"), select the corresponding Database Code (e.g., uniprotkb_bacteria).

  • If the user explicitly requests curated hits, use uniprotkb_swissprot.
  • If no specific database is requested, do not specify --databases.
  • Validation: Ensure the database code exactly matches an entry in the

table. If the user requests a database not on the list, do not proceed and provide the allowed list. 2. Generate File Names: (e.g., proteinA_ebi_blast.json and proteinA_ebi_blast.md). 3. This API requires the user email address to be set in the USER_EMAIL environment variable for inclusion in request header. 4. Execute the BLAST script:

  • Default (uniprotkb):
    uv run scripts/uniprot_blast.py <SEQUENCE_OR_FILE> -o <generated-filename.md> -j <generated-filename.json>
  • Custom database:
    uv run scripts/uniprot_blast.py <SEQUENCE_OR_FILE> -o <generated-filename.md> -j <generated-filename.json> --databases <db1,db2>

5. The script will query the EBI BLAST API and poll the server. Note: This can take up to 15 minutes; wait patiently.

6. Read the Results: Open and read the generated .md file.

Common Steps (Both Methods)

1. Interpret the Metrics: Summarize the top 3 to 5 sequence homologues. Assess match quality using:

  • Q-Cov (Query Coverage): High percentages mean the match covers most

of the query sequence.

  • E-value: Lower E-values (e.g., 1e-50) indicate extreme statistical

significance.

  • Seq Identity: Provides evolutionary context (highly conserved vs.

distant homologue). 2. Perform Functional Analysis:

  • If the results table includes protein descriptions, analyze them

directly: report specific protein names/functions of the top homologues and summarize the variety of functions, domains, or protein families found.

  • If the results contain only UniProt accession IDs without descriptions

(common with MMseqs2), look up the protein names and functions for the top 3–5 hits using the uniprot-database skill or other appropriate methods before summarizing. 3. Inform the user of both newly created files (.json and .md) and their locations.

Available BLAST Databases

  • uniprotkb – UniProt Knowledgebase (The UniProt Knowledgebase includes

UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot and UniProtKB/TrEMBL): The UniProt Knowledgebase (UniProtKB) is the central access point for extensive curated protein information, including function, classification, and cross-references. Search UniProtKB to retrieve "everything that is known" about a particular sequence

  • uniprotkb_swissprot – UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot (The manually annotated section

of UniProtKB): The manually curated subsection of the UniProt Knowledgebase

  • uniprotkb_swissprotsv – UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot isoforms (The manually

annotated isoforms of UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot): The isoform sequences for the manually curated subsection of the UniProt Knowledgebase

  • uniprotkb_reference_proteomes – UniProtKB Reference Proteomes: Taxonomic

subset of the UniProtKB Reference Proteomes

  • uniprotkb_trembl – UniProtKB/TrEMBL (The automatically annotated section

of UniProtKB): Subsection of the UniProt Knowledgebase derived from ENA Sequence (formerly EMBL-Bank) coding sequence translations with annotation produced by an automated process

  • uniprotkb_refprotswissprot – UniProtKB Reference Proteomes plus

Swiss-Prot: UniProtKB Reference Proteomes plus Swiss-Prot

  • uniprotkb_archaea – UniProtKB Archaea: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for archaea

  • uniprotkb_arthropoda – UniProtKB Arthropoda: Taxonomic subset of the

UniProt Knowledgebase for arthropoda

  • uniprotkb_bacteria – UniProtKB Bacteria: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for bacteria

  • uniprotkb_complete_microbial_proteomes – UniProtKB Complete Microbial

Proteomes: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt Knowledgebase for complete microbial proteomes

  • uniprotkb_eukaryota – UniProtKB Eukaryota: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for eukaryota

  • uniprotkb_fungi – UniProtKB Fungi: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for fungi

  • uniprotkb_human – UniProtKB Human: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for human

  • uniprotkb_mammals – UniProtKB Mammals: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for mammals

  • uniprotkb_nematoda – UniProtKB Nematoda: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for nematoda

  • uniprotkb_rodents – UniProtKB Rodents: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for rodents

  • uniprotkb_vertebrates – UniProtKB Vertebrates: Taxonomic subset of the

UniProt Knowledgebase for vertebrates

  • uniprotkb_viridiplantae – UniProtKB Viridiplantae: Taxonomic subset of the

UniProt Knowledgebase for viridiplantae

  • uniprotkb_viruses – UniProtKB Viruses: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for viruses

  • uniprotkb_enzyme – UniProtKB Enzyme: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for enzymes

  • uniprotkb_covid19 – UniProtKB COVID-19: Taxonomic subset of the UniProt

Knowledgebase for COVID-19

  • uniref100 – UniProt Clusters 100% (UniRef100): The UniProt Reference

Clusters (UniRef) containing sequences which are 100% identical.

  • uniref90 – UniProt Clusters 90% (UniRef90): The UniProt Reference Clusters

(UniRef) containing sequences which are 90% identical.

  • uniref50 – UniProt Clusters 50% (UniRef50): The UniProt Reference Clusters

(UniRef) containing sequences which are 50% identical.

  • pdb – Protein Structure Sequences (PDBe protein structure sequences):

Protein sequences from structures described in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank (PDB)

Related skills

How it compares

Choose protein-sequence-similarity-search over general data-pipeline skills when the task is protein homology lookup via ColabFold MMseqs2, not generic ETL or warehouse work.

FAQ

Which API does protein-sequence-similarity-search use?

protein-sequence-similarity-search uses the ColabFold MMseqs2 API. It submits a query protein sequence to the server, downloads homologous matches, and returns them as a ranked similarity report.

What output does protein-sequence-similarity-search produce?

protein-sequence-similarity-search produces a ranked similarity report of homologous protein sequences retrieved from the ColabFold MMseqs2 server. Developers use it to compare query sequences against known homologues quickly.

Is Protein Sequence Similarity Search safe to install?

skills.sh reports 2 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.

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