--- name: boltz-protein-screen description: Screen existing protein binders with Boltz. Use when ranking a supplied protein, peptide, antibody, nanobody, or binder library against a target. Not for designing new proteins or screening small molecules. --- ## Workflow If `boltz-api` is missing from `PATH`, use `boltz-cli-setup` for install/update guidance before retrying. If a command reports missing or expired authentication, use `boltz-cli-setup` to start `boltz-api auth login --device-code` before retrying; do not ask permission first. If the agent host sandbox blocks `boltz-api` install/auth/API calls, use `boltz-cli-setup` to request the host sandbox bypass/escalation needed for user-wide CLI install, browser login, credential storage, temp files, or API access before retrying. Use this skill when the user already has candidate proteins / peptides / antibodies / nanobodies. 1. Normalize the binder library into `proteins` — a list of candidate complexes. For a simple sequence library each entry has one protein entity; multi-chain candidates (antibody heavy+light) are also allowed. 2. Pick the target variant: - `structure_template` — user has a CIF/PDB file or URL; select which chains are polymer vs ligand, which residues to keep (`crop_residues`), and optionally `epitope_residues` / `flexible_residues`. - `no_template` — user has only sequences; pass them as `target.entities` plus optional `epitope_residues`. 3. Don't add `bonds` / `constraints` unless the user asks for geometry constraints. 4. Author the payload YAML or JSON, run `estimate-cost`, show the USD cost, wait for explicit confirmation. 5. `start` to submit. Capture the ID. 6. Launch `download-results` with the agent runtime's background/non-blocking command facility. In Claude Code, use Bash with `run_in_background: true`. In Codex, run `download-results` as a foreground shell command with `yield_time_ms: 1000`; if Codex returns a `session_id`, keep it for optional same-thread polling, but treat `download-status` plus the run directory as the durable source of truth. In Codex app/desktop runtimes that expose same-thread heartbeat automations, create a heartbeat that checks `download-status` periodically and posts a concise completion or failure update when the download reaches a terminal state. After launching the downloader, always report the job ID, run name, and output directory. Include the next check cadence if the heartbeat was created; otherwise include the `download-status` command. 7. Rank hits from `//results/index.jsonl` by `binding_confidence` descending. Use `iptm` and `min_interaction_pae` as tiebreakers. `optimization_score` is not emitted for this endpoint. Read [references/results.md](references/results.md) for output layout and metric details. ## Command Pattern ```bash # Replace placeholders with concrete absolute paths before running. # Use a short descriptive run name, for example: protein-screen---v1 boltz-api protein:library-screen estimate-cost \ --input @yaml:///absolute/path/payload.yaml boltz-api protein:library-screen start \ --idempotency-key "" \ --input @yaml:///absolute/path/payload.yaml \ --raw-output --transform id # Copy the printed job ID into this command, then launch it in the agent # runtime's background/non-blocking mode. # Claude Code: Bash with run_in_background=true. # Codex: foreground shell command with yield_time_ms=1000; keep the returned session_id if one is provided. # Do not append "&" or use nohup in Codex. boltz-api download-results \ --id "" --name "" \ --root-dir "/absolute/path/boltz-experiments" \ --poll-interval-seconds 30 ``` Payload keys are `proteins`, `target` — API body field names. ## Always Do This - For `structure_template`, embed CIF/PDB bytes with `@data:///abs/path/target.cif` inside the `structure.data` field. Don't use bare `@path` (automatic file-type detection once sent CIF as plain text into a base64 field and broke the server parser). - Residue indices are 0-based. `epitope_residues` and `flexible_residues` must be subsets of `crop_residues`. - Keep payload field names exactly as the API body names shown in `references/api.md`. - Use absolute paths for the output root, payload files, and embedded target files. Do not `cd` into the run directory for follow-up commands; pass the same `--root-dir` and use absolute paths so later relative paths do not drift. - Prefer one merged top-level payload via `--input @yaml:///absolute/path/payload.yaml` or `@json:///absolute/path/payload.json` for `estimate-cost` and `start`. Keep `--idempotency-key` and `--workspace-id` top-level; if they also appear inside `--input`, the top-level flags win. - Direct object flags still work as overrides, such as `--target @yaml:///absolute/path/target.yaml` or repeated `--protein @json:///absolute/path/protein-1.json` entries. Piped YAML / JSON on stdin also works, but it must use API body field names. Never use `@file://` or `@./`. - Use the same slug as both `--idempotency-key` and `--name`. - In permission-gated agents such as Claude Code, keep each Boltz call as a top-level command that starts with `boltz-api`. Prefer concrete arguments over `sh -c`, inline environment assignments, aliases, wrapper scripts, loops, or pipelines around the `boltz-api` invocation unless the user already allowed that exact command form. Use `--raw-output --transform id`, read the printed ID, then paste that literal ID into the next `download-results` command. - Prefer the agent runtime's background/non-blocking command mode for `download-results`. In Codex specifically, keep `download-results` in the foreground and set the shell tool yield to 1000 ms; Codex will return a `session_id` if the command is still running. Do not append `&` or use `nohup` in Codex because the tool runner may clean up shell-backgrounded descendants before `.boltz-run.json` is fully written. - After the background/session starts, do not manually wait on it or run ad hoc polling loops. Wall-clock time scales roughly with the number of candidates in the library: under 100 often finishes in a few minutes, 100-1,000 may take several minutes to tens of minutes, and larger screens can take longer or hours depending on inputs and system load. Don't quote a fixed duration. `--poll-interval-seconds 30` is a reasonable downloader default. `download-results` emits JSONL progress on stderr by default; add `--progress-format text --verbose` only when you explicitly want human-readable logs. - In Codex app/desktop runtimes with same-thread heartbeat automation support, schedule a heartbeat after launching `download-results`. The heartbeat should run `boltz-api --format json download-status --name "" --root-dir "/absolute/path/boltz-experiments"` and stop once terminal. Choose cadence by candidate count: under 100 -> every 1-2 minutes; 100-1,000 -> every 5 minutes; over 1,000 -> every 15 minutes. Post only material status changes or terminal completion/failure. Poll the saved `session_id` with an empty `write_stdin` only for interactive, user-requested progress checks. Never run a manual poll loop in the current turn. - If the current host has no heartbeat automation support, do not claim an automatic next check. Report the job ID, run name, output directory, and the command needed to check `download-status`. - If detached download needs to be restarted, re-run `boltz-api download-results` with the same `--name ""` and the same `--root-dir`. - Cost is tiered by total complex length (target + candidate); the combined length sets the tier. Do not state or estimate a dollar figure yourself — to say anything about cost, run `estimate-cost` and quote only the number it returns. ## Escape Hatch - Payload reference: - CLI flag names: `boltz-api protein:library-screen start --help` Read [references/api.md](references/api.md) for the `proteins` list shape and both `target` variants (structure_template with `chain_selection`, and no_template with epitope hints). Read [references/results.md](references/results.md) after download when ranking screened binders or explaining outputs. ## Outputs Rank from `results/index.jsonl` after `download-results`; use [references/results.md](references/results.md) for local file layout and metric meanings.