title: Genome-scale models of microbial cells: evaluating the consequences of constraints.
abstract: Microbial cells operate under governing constraints that limit their range of possible functions. With the availability of annotated genome sequences, it has become possible to reconstruct genome-scale biochemical reaction networks for microorganisms. The imposition of governing constraints on a reconstructed biochemical network leads to the definition of achievable cellular functions. In recent years, a substantial and growing toolbox of computational analysis methods has been developed to study the characteristics and capabilities of microorganisms using a constraint-based reconstruction and analysis (COBRA) approach. This approach provides a biochemically and genetically consistent framework for the generation of hypotheses and the testing of functions of microbial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Bernhard Ø
authors.initials: BØ
authors.lastname: Palsson
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D019295:Computational Biology; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D010641:Phenotype; D012984:Software; D013598:Systems Theory