caver

Identify and analyze transport tunnels in protein structures from PDB inputs.

2|Updated May 12, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/LiorZ/protein-design-skills --skill caver
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: caver
Source: https://github.com/LiorZ/protein-design-skills/tree/main/skills/caver
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/LiorZ/protein-design-skills --skill caver

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

The CAVER skill identifies and analyzes transport tunnels in protein structures to map how substrates could traverse from buried active sites to the surface, enabling tunnel engineering and design insights.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Detects tunnels in static PDBs or MD ensembles and reports bottlenecks, lengths, radii, and curvature.
  • Clusters tunnels across frames, ranks clusters by throughput, and generates ready-to-visualize outputs (summary, analysis, data, PyMOL/VMD scripts).
  • Supports starting-point specification (atoms, residues, or coordinates), containerized execution via Apptainer/SIF, and downstream integration with design workflows.

Quick Start

Run the CAVER SIF on your input PDB/MD ensemble to discover tunnels, generate cluster reports, and create visualization assets.

Frequently Asked Questions about caver

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I identify and analyze protein tunnels in static structures or MD trajectories?

Identify and analyze transport tunnels in protein structures by running the CAVER SIF on PDB inputs or MD ensembles. The process locates tunnels, clusters them across frames, ranks clusters by throughput, and reports bottlenecks, lengths, radii, and curvature.

How do I visualize protein transport tunnels and bottlenecks after analysis?

Visualize protein transport tunnels using the generated PyMOL and VMD visualization scripts emitted as outputs. These scripts render the tunnel meshes and bottleneck geometries calculated from your PDB or MD ensemble inputs.

Can I analyze substrate pathways in MD ensembles across multiple frames?

Analyze substrate pathways in MD ensembles by clustering tunnels across frames. The analysis ranks clusters by throughput to identify the most viable transport pathways and bottleneck geometries within your molecular dynamics trajectory.

What inputs do I need to run a tunnel analysis on a protein structure?

Tunnel analysis requires a CAVER SIF image, PDB inputs or an MD ensemble, and a configuration file. You must also specify a starting point using atoms, residues, or coordinates to map the buried active site pathways.

What is the best way to cluster and rank protein tunnels by throughput?

Cluster and rank protein tunnels by throughput using containerized CAVER execution. The analysis groups tunnels across trajectory frames, evaluates bottleneck radii and curvature, and generates CSV summary reports.

Does tunnel analysis support integration with downstream protein engineering workflows?

Tunnel analysis supports downstream integration with protein design workflows. It emits CSV data outputs, mesh files, and visualization scripts that map substrate pathways for tunnel engineering and design insights.