Biopython

---
name: biopython
description: Comprehensive molecular biology toolkit. Use for sequence manipulation, file parsing (FASTA/GenBank/PDB), phylogenetics, and programmatic NCBI/PubMed access (Bio.Entrez). Best for batch processing, custom bioinformatics pipelines, BLAST automation. For quick lookups use gget; for multi-service integration use bioservices.
allowed-tools: Read Write Edit Bash
compatibility: Requires Python 3.10+, NumPy, and Biopython. Entrez and web BLAST examples require network access; local BLAST/MUSCLE examples require those command-line tools installed separately.
license: Biopython License Agreement
required_environment_variables: [{"name": "NCBI_EMAIL", "prompt": "Email for NCBI Entrez identification (required by NCBI policy for Entrez calls).", "required_for": "optional features"}, {"name": "NCBI_API_KEY", "prompt": "NCBI API key to raise Entrez rate limits.", "required_for": "optional features"}]
metadata: {"version": "1.2", "skill-author": "K-Dense Inc.", "openclaw": {"envVars": [{"name": "NCBI_EMAIL", "required": false, "description": "Email for NCBI Entrez identification (required by NCBI policy for Entrez calls)."}, {"name": "NCBI_API_KEY", "required": false, "description": "NCBI API key to raise Entrez rate limits."}]}}
---

# Biopython: Computational Molecular Biology in Python

## Overview

Biopython is a comprehensive set of freely available Python tools for biological computation. It provides functionality for sequence manipulation, file I/O, database access, structural bioinformatics, phylogenetics, and many other bioinformatics tasks. The current version is **Biopython 1.87** (released 30 March 2026). It supports **Python 3.10-3.14** and PyPy3.10, and requires NumPy. Biopython 1.87 also addresses **CVE-2025-68463** in `Bio.Entrez.Parser` when parsing untrusted files, so prefer 1.87+ for workflows that parse externally supplied Entrez XML.

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

- Working with biological sequences (DNA, RNA, or protein)
- Reading, writing, or converting biological file formats (FASTA, GenBank, FASTQ, PDB, mmCIF, etc.)
- Accessing NCBI databases (GenBank, PubMed, Protein, Gene, etc.) via Entrez
- Running BLAST searches or parsing BLAST results
- Performing sequence alignments (pairwise or multiple sequence alignments)… load the full skill through Skill Me