openscience README

The project's README from github.com/synthetic-sciences/openscience. As one markdown file: README.md.

OpenScience

The open-source AI workbench for scientific research

Give it a goal. It reads the literature, writes and runs code, runs the experiments, and writes up what it found.


CI npm release license

Get started · Documentation · Releases · Contributing

OpenScience is an open-source workbench for scientific research. Work through literature, data, code, experiments, and writing in the desktop app, browser workspace, or terminal.

Choose Ace for managed models and research search, connect your own API keys or supported provider sign-in, or use local models. An OpenScience account is optional for your own provider access and local models.

Get started

Download the desktop app for macOS, Windows, or Linux. For the CLI and browser workspace:

npm install -g @synsci/openscience
openscience

Or use the one-step launcher:

npx synsci

Open Customize → Models to choose access. For an existing project:

openscience ~/research/my-project

Follow the quickstart for your first task, or the installation guide for platform details and updates.

Choose model access

Option Setup Usage
Ace Sign in, choose a funding workspace, and fund its Wallet. Pay as you go; no monthly subscription.
Your provider Connect an API key or supported sign-in. Your provider's access and billing terms.
Local model Connect Ollama, LM Studio, or another compatible endpoint. Your hardware; no Ace model charge.

Ace activation is a $0 authorization. Usage is settled from the provider's reported cost plus a 5.5% funding fee, applied once per request, with no other markup; the card processing fee is shown separately at checkout. While automatic reloads are enabled, a purchased Wallet balance below $5 triggers a $20 reload. Changing to your own provider does not turn off automatic reloads. See Pricing and usage.

Connect from the terminal:

openscience keys add
openscience models

For a local endpoint:

openscience local add

See Models and Local models.

Give it a research task

Inspect data/samples.csv for missing values and inconsistent labels.
Keep the original data unchanged. Save a quality report and a plot
in results/, with the code needed to reproduce them.

Use Research for execution, or start with /plan to agree on the method. Review sources, assumptions, code, and outputs before relying on a scientific conclusion.

For a single terminal turn:

openscience run "Review the analysis plan in this project"
openscience run --continue "Suggest checks for the assumptions you identified"

What you can do

A skill describes a procedure; it does not mean every referenced tool or service is installed. Check availability in Customize before a substantial task.

Documentation

Browse the capability map, Explore tools, and Skills directory. Each catalog explains what an entry does and links to setup or usage instructions. The workflow cookbook provides complete requests with expected deliverables.

Topic Guide
First use Quickstart, Workspace
Models and billing Models, Ace, Pricing
Research Literature reviews, Data analysis, Reproduction, Writing
Capabilities Skills, Databases, Connectors
Customize Project instructions, Configuration
Automate CLI reference, JSON output, SDK and editors
Help Troubleshooting, FAQ

Plain-text documentation is available at llms.txt and llms-full.txt.

Releases and updates

GitHub Releases contains desktop installers, CLI archives, checksums, and release notes. The changelog records notable behavior changes.

Use the app's update controls or openscience upgrade for the CLI. An npm installation can be updated with npm install -g @synsci/openscience@latest. Back up important project files independently of application updates.

Development

Use the pinned Bun version from package.json:

bun run setup
bun dev
bun run check

CONTRIBUTING.md covers the development loop and required checks. ARCHITECTURE.md maps the codebase, and AGENTS.md describes repository conventions.

For docs changes, see the docs contributor guide and documentation source map.

Control and support

Use the approval controls to decide when OpenScience should ask before acting. Keep original inputs, review consequential actions, and use account controls for spending limits.

Report reproducible product bugs in GitHub Issues. Use account support for private billing questions. Follow SECURITY.md to report a vulnerability.

License

Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE and NOTICE.

OpenScience is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic. "Claude" is a trademark of Anthropic, PBC, used here only to describe compatibility.

openscience (synthetic-sciences/openscience)

science
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4.1K ·GitHub
Openscience
What is this?OpenScience is an open-source AI workbench for scientific research: give it a goal and it reads literature, writes and runs code, runs experiments, and writes up what it found.
Is this a desktop app, a CLI, or both?It is all three: a desktop app for macOS/Windows/Linux, a browser workspace, and a terminal CLI, backed by an SDK for integrations.
How do I get it running?Download the desktop app for your OS, or use the one-step launcher for the CLI and browser workspace, then open Customize → Models to pick an access option.
Do I need an API key, or can I run it with local models?You can sign in to Ace for managed models, connect your own provider API key or sign-in, or use local models via Ollama, LM Studio, or another compatible endpoint; an OpenScience account is optional if you use your own provider or local models.
How does Ace billing work and what should I watch out for?Ace activation is a $0 authorization, and usage is billed as the provider's reported cost plus a 5.5% funding fee; automatic Wallet reloads trigger a $20 top-up once balance drops below $5, and switching to your own provider does not disable auto-reload.
Does it always verify results before trusting them?No, the README advises reviewing sources, assumptions, code, and outputs before relying on any scientific conclusion the agent produces.
What can I reuse instead of writing prompts from scratch?You can browse hundreds of bundled skills describing reusable research procedures, or add your own project-specific workflow.
How do I extend OpenScience with custom tools?You can add MCP connections, custom agents and commands, plugins, or integrate via the SDK to extend the workbench's capabilities.
How do I update an existing installation?Use the desktop app's update controls, run openscience upgrade for the CLI, or update an npm install with npm install -g @synsci/openscience@latest.
What are similar projects?open-science, OmniScientist, feynman, qwen-code, freebuff, DeepAnalyze, omnigent, scientific-agent-skills
Which topics is it in?bioinformatics, research-tools, ml, science, opensource, scientific-computing, bun, sdk, ai-agent, research, agent, mcp
Creator
synthetic-sciences
Size
78.8 MB
Stars
4.1K
Updated
CommitOct 18Releasev2.0.152Oct 18
Age
3mo
Commits · 90 Days