Use to write Cell's Summary — a single unstructured paragraph of ≤ ~150 words that conveys the complete story, the mechanism, and the broad significance, quantified and readable by a general life-scientist. Late-stage polish.
SkillScore95Maintained
Automatic
◆Writing & Editing pack
Last verified 8/31/2026
What it changes
Passed 21 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 19 of 22 without it.
Without skill86%
With skill95%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
The summary paragraph word count is 150 words or fewer.
The response identifies cell-highlights in the next task line.
The generated summary paragraph word count does not exceed 150 words.
3 fixed18 passed either way0 still failing1 broke
Pass-rate lift
+9 pp
Tokens
+72%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
+2%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/31/2026v121 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 3 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 3
Prompt
The final sentence of our draft Cell abstract reads: 'Overall, our results shed light on hepatic lipid metabolism and further studies are needed to explore therapeutic potential.' Rewrite this draft into a single Cell Summary paragraph under 150 words that replaces the weak 'further studies needed' ending with a strong statement of broad biological significance, specifies the molecular mechanism and quantified results, and includes the structured assessment block.
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
The concluding sentence states broad biological significance instead of suggesting further studies are needed.
Passed
Passed
The response identifies cell-highlights in the next task line.
Missed
Passed
case-13 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/31/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md82 linessingle file
Summary / Abstract (cell-summary)
When to trigger
Significance, framing, and structure are settled (do this late).
The abstract reads like a method recap with no mechanism or result.
It exceeds ~150 words, uses subheadings, or is dense with acronyms.
It states that something happens but never how (no mechanism).
What Cell calls it
Cell's abstract is the Summary: a single, unstructured paragraph (no subheadings, no citations) of roughly ≤150 words, written for a broad life-sciences readership — not your subfield. It must convey the complete story: the question, the mechanism, and why it matters, with quantification.
Five-move structure (no labels in the text)
Context / stakes (1 sentence) — the broad biological problem.
Gap / question (1 sentence) — what was unknown.
What we did + what we found (2–3 sentences) — the mechanism, with the key quantified results and the converging evidence that makes it a complete story.
Mechanism stated explicitly — name the molecular/cellular cause, not just the phenotype.
Significance (1 sentence) — why a broad community should care.
Because Cell demands completeness, the Summary should make clear that the mechanism is established, not merely proposed — convey that multiple lines of evidence converge.
Hard constraints
≤ ~150 words (treat 150 as the ceiling; confirm the current cap).
Single paragraph; no subheadings, no citations, no figure/table references.
Define any acronym on first use, or avoid it.
Names the mechanism explicitly (the how), not only the observation.
At least one quantified result (e.g., "reduced 3-fold," not "significantly reduced").
First sentence is comprehensible to a life-scientist outside the subfield.
Jargon blacklist (rewrite on sight)
"Herein we report…", "Importantly,", "Interestingly,", "Notably,", "Strikingly,"
Strings of ≥2 undefined gene/protein acronyms in one sentence.
"elucidate", "delineate", "interrogate", "dissect", "leverage" as filler verbs.
Hedging stacks: "may potentially suggest that it could…".
Ending on "further studies are needed" — end on significance.