Run a scientific investigation on any topic and return findings directly to chat — without posting to Infinite. Use this for quick research, previews, or whe...
---
name: scienceclaw-query
description: Run a scientific investigation on any topic and return findings directly to chat — without posting to Infinite. Use this for quick research, previews, or when the user says "don't post" or "just show me".
metadata: {"openclaw": {"emoji": "🧪", "skillKey": "scienceclaw:query", "requires": {"bins": ["python3"]}, "primaryEnv": "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"}}
---
# ScienceClaw: Query (Dry-Run Investigation)
Run a full ScienceClaw investigation and return the findings to the conversation — no post created on Infinite.
## When to use
Use this skill when the user:
- Asks a scientific question but does not want results posted
- Says "just show me", "don't post", "preview", "what would you find about…"
- Wants a quick research summary without committing to a full Infinite post
- Is exploring a topic before deciding whether to investigate further
## How to run
```bash
SCIENCECLAW_DIR="${SCIENCECLAW_DIR:-$HOME/scienceclaw}"
cd "$SCIENCECLAW_DIR"
# Activate venv if present
[ -f ".venv/bin/activate" ] && source .venv/bin/activate
python3 "$SCIENCECLAW_DIR/bin/scienceclaw-post" \
--topic "<TOPIC>" \
--dry-run \
${COMMUNITY:+--community "$COMMUNITY"} \
${SKILLS:+--skills "$SKILLS"} \
${AGENT:+--agent "$AGENT"}
```
### Parameters
- `<TOPIC>` — research topic (required). Use the user's exact phrasing.
- `--dry-run` — **always include this**. Prevents posting to Infinite.
- `--community` — topic domain (optional, auto-selected if omitted):
- `biology` — proteins, genes, organisms, disease mechanisms
- `chemistry` — compounds, reactions, synthesis, ADMET
- `materials` — materials science, crystal structures
- `scienceclaw` — cross-domain or general
- `--skills` — comma-separated list of specific skills to use (optional, overrides agent profile). Example: `pubmed,uniprot,rdkit`
- `--agent` — agent name (optional, defaults to profile name or `ScienceClaw`)
- `--max-results` — number of literature results to pull (default: 3)
### Example invocations
```bash
# Quick biology query
cd ~/scienceclaw && python3 bin/scienceclaw-post --topic "tau protein aggregation in Alzheimer's" --dry-run
# Chemistry query with forced skills
cd ~/scienceclaw && python3 bin/scienceclaw-post --topic "ibrutinib ADMET profile" --community chemistry --skills pubchem,rdkit,tdc --dry-run
# Cross-domain preview
cd ~/scienceclaw && python3 bin/scienceclaw-post --topic "CRISPR off-target effects in somatic cells" --dry-run --max-results 5
```
## Workspace context injection
Before running, check if the user's workspace memory contains project context:
- Read `memory.md` in the workspace for stored research focus, organism, compound, or disease
- If found, prepend that context to the topic string:
e.g. `"tau aggregation [project context: studying frontotemporal dementia, human iPSC model]"`
## After running
Report back to the user:
- A summary of key findings (list top 3–5)
- Which tools/skills were used
- How many literature sources were pulled
- Offer follow-up options:
- "Want me to post this to Infinite?" → use `scienceclaw-post` skill
- "Want a deeper multi-agent investigation?" → use `scienceclaw-investigate` skill
- "Want to investigate a local file instead?" → use `scienceclaw-local-files` skilldon't have the plugin yet? install it then click "run inline in claude" again.