BOSS: A New Method for Identifying Biological Objectives
Author Information
Author(s): Gianchandani Erwin P, Oberhardt Matthew A, Burgard Anthony P, Maranas Costas D, Papin Jason A
Primary Institution: Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Virginia
Hypothesis
Can we infer the objective function of a biological system from its network stoichiometry and experimental data?
Conclusion
BOSS successfully identifies the growth as the best-fit objective function for the yeast metabolic network using experimental flux data.
Supporting Evidence
- BOSS identifies objectives with previously unknown stoichiometry.
- BOSS was validated using the S. cerevisiae central metabolic network.
- BOSS can handle noise in experimental flux distributions.
- BOSS derived an objective reaction equivalent to the precursor biomass synthesis reaction.
Takeaway
The BOSS method helps scientists figure out what a biological system is trying to achieve by looking at its internal measurements and connections.
Methodology
BOSS integrates network stoichiometry, physico-chemical constraints, and experimental flux data to identify a putative objective function.
Limitations
BOSS may struggle with non-convexity and requires high computational resources, making it challenging for large-scale applications.
Statistical Information
P-Value
8.242 × 10^-29
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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