Bio Workflows Metabolic Modeling Pipeline

Protein FASTA (genome annotation)
        |
        v
[1. Reconstruction] --> CarveMe / gapseq / ModelSEED
        |
        v
[2. Model Validation] --> memote QC (snapshot report)
        |
        v
[3. Model Curation] --> gap-filling, mass/charge balance
        |
        | <---- Iterative refinement loop
        v
[4. FBA Analysis] --> Growth prediction, flux distribution
        |
        +-----------------------+
        |                       |
        v                       v
[5a. Gene Essentiality]   [5b. Context-Specific]
    Single/double KO       Tissue-specific models
        |                       |
        v                       v
Essential Gene List      Condition-Specific Fluxes

pip install cobra carveme memote escher pandas numpy matplotlib seaborn

conda install -c bioconda diamond

# Basic reconstruction from a PROTEIN FASTA (CarveMe rejects raw/GenBank genomes)
carve genome.faa -o model_draft.xml

# Gram type / universe is a VALUE of -u/--universe, NOT a --gram-neg flag
carve genome.faa -o model_draft.xml -u gramneg

# Gap-fill for a specific medium (opt-in; the medium determines what gets added)
carve genome.faa -o model_draft.xml -u gramneg --gapfill M9

import cobra

model = cobra.io.read_sbml_model('model_draft.xml')
print(f'Model: {model.id}')
print(f'Reactions: {len(model.reactions)}')
print(f'Metabolites: {len(model.metabolites)}')
print(f'Genes: {len(model.genes)}')

# Quick growth test
# Growth rate >0.01 h^-1 indicates viable model
solution = model.optimize()
print(f'Growth rate: {solution.objective_value:.4f} h^-1')

# Run the memote test suite (results stored as JSON when --filename is given)
memote run --filename model_result.json.gz model_draft.xml

# Generate the human-readable HTML snapshot report
memote report snapshot --filename model_report.html model_draft.xml

# The memote SCORE measures consistency and annotation (well-formedness), NOT biological
# correctness -- a model can score high and mispredict every knockout. Read WHICH tests fail
# (stoichiometric consistency, mass/charge balance, energy-generating cycles) in the HTML report,
# and validate predictions separately (see systems-biology/model-curation). Programmatic access:
from memote.suite.api import test_model
code, result = test_model(model, results=True)   # result is a MemoteResult of the raw outcomes

import cobra
from cobra.flux_analysis import gapfill

model = cobra.io.read_sbml_model('model_draft.xml')

# Check for common issues
def diagnose_model(model):
    issues = []

    # Dead-end metabolites (produced but not consumed, or vice versa)
    for met in model.metabolites:
        producing = [r for r in met.reactions if met in r.products]
        consuming = [r for r in met.reactions if met in r.reactants]
        if len(producing) > 0 and len(consuming) == 0:
            issues.append(f'Dead-end (not consumed): {met.id}')
        elif len(producing) == 0 and len(consuming) > 0:
            issues.append(f'Dead-end (not produced): {met.id}')

    # Blocked reactions: reactions that CANNOT carry flux under any feasible state. fraction_of_optimum
    # defaults to 1.0, which instead pins growth at the optimum and reports reactions unused by that
    # particular optimal solution -- a different, much larger set. Pass 0 (or use find_blocked_reactions).
    fva = cobra.flux_analysis.flux_variability_analysis(model, fraction_of_optimum=0)
    blocked = fva[(fva['minimum'] == 0) & (fva['maximum'] == 0)]
    if len(blocked) > 0:
        issues.append(f'Blocked reactions: {len(blocked)}')

    return issues

issues = diagnose_model(model)
print(f'Found {len(issues)} issues')
for issue in issues[:10]:
    print(f'  {issue}')

# Gap-filling for growth on specific media
from cobra.flux_analysis import gapfill

# Load universal reaction database for gap-filling
universal = cobra.io.read_sbml_model('universal_model.xml')

# Define target medium (e.g., glucose minimal)
target_medium = {
    'EX_glc__D_e': 10,  # Glucose uptake
    'EX_o2_e': 20,       # Oxygen
    'EX_nh4_e': 100,     # Ammonium
    'EX_pi_e': 100,      # Phosphate
    'EX_so4_e': 100,     # Sulfate
}

# Apply medium (model.exchanges yields Reaction objects, not id strings). This is a FULLY DEFINED
# medium: every exchange absent from target_medium is closed, so target_medium must also list the
# trace metals and cofactors biomass requires (Fe, K, Mg, Ca, Zn, ...) or growth is zero. To vary only
# the carbon source instead, layer overrides onto `model.medium` rather than replacing it.
for rxn in model.exchanges:
    rxn.lower_bound = -target_medium[rxn.id] if rxn.id in target_medium else 0  # block other uptakes

# Gap-fill to enable growth
# Gap-filling adds minimal reactions from universal model to enable growth
gapfill_solution = gapfill(model, universal, demand_reactions=False)
print(f'Gap-fill added {len(gapfill_solution[0])} reactions')

# Gap-filled reactions are the LEAST-evidenced part of the model (added to force growth on this
# medium, not because homology supports them) -- flag them low-confidence, do not treat as validated.
for rxn in gapfill_solution[0]:
    model.add_reactions([rxn])
    print(f'  Added (low-confidence): {rxn.id} - {rxn.name}')

# Verify growth
solution = model.optimize()
print(f'Growth after gap-fill: {solution.objective_value:.4f} h^-1')

# Persist the curated model -- downstream steps read model_curated.xml, not the draft
cobra.io.write_sbml_model(model, 'model_curated.xml')

import cobra
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

model = cobra.io.read_sbml_model('model_curated.xml')

# Basic FBA
solution = model.optimize()
print(f'Objective (growth): {solution.objective_value:.4f} h^-1')
print(f'Status: {solution.status}')

# Get active fluxes
fluxes = solution.fluxes
active_fluxes = fluxes[abs(fluxes) > 1e-6]
print(f'Active reactions: {len(active_fluxes)} / {len(model.reactions)}')

# Key exchange fluxes (uptake/secretion)
exchange_fluxes = fluxes[[r.id for r in model.exchanges]]
significant_exchanges = exchange_fluxes[abs(exchange_fluxes) > 0.1]
print('\nSignificant exchanges:')
print(significant_exchanges.sort_values())

# Flux Variability Analysis (FVA)
from cobra.flux_analysis import flux_variability_analysis

# FVA identifies reaction flexibility
# Fraction 0.9 = allow 90% of optimal growth
fva = flux_variability_analysis(model, fraction_of_optimum=0.9)

# Identify rigid vs flexible reactions
fva['range'] = fva['maximum'] - fva['minimum']
rigid = fva[fva['range'] < 1e-6]
flexible = fva[fva['range'] > 1]

print(f'Rigid reactions (fixed flux): {len(rigid)}')
print(f'Flexible reactions: {len(flexible)}')

# Plot flux ranges for key pathways
glycolysis = ['PGI', 'PFK', 'FBA', 'TPI', 'GAPD', 'PGK', 'PGM', 'ENO', 'PYK']
glyc_fva = fva.loc[fva.index.isin(glycolysis)]

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(10, 6))
ax.barh(range(len(glyc_fva)), glyc_fva['maximum'] - glyc_fva['minimum'],
        left=glyc_fva['minimum'], alpha=0.7)
ax.set_yticks(range(len(glyc_fva)))
ax.set_yticklabels(glyc_fva.index)
ax.set_xlabel('Flux range (mmol/gDW/h)')
ax.set_title('Glycolysis Flux Variability')
plt.tight_layout()
plt.savefig('glycolysis_fva.pdf')

from cobra.flux_analysis import single_gene_deletion, double_gene_deletion

# Single gene knockouts. Result columns: ids (a SET of gene-id strings), growth, status.
single_ko = single_gene_deletion(model)
single_ko['growth_ratio'] = single_ko['growth'] / solution.objective_value

# Essential genes: knockout drops growth below the cutoff (a policy, not a library default).
# Report and sweep the cutoff; match the medium to any experiment being compared. Essentiality
# is model- and medium-relative (see systems-biology/gene-essentiality).
essential = single_ko[single_ko['growth_ratio'] < 0.1]
print(f'Essential genes: {len(essential)} / {len(model.genes)} on this medium')

# ids elements are gene-id STRINGS (a set), so list(s)[0] gives the id -- there is no .id attribute.
essential_list = [list(s)[0] for s in essential['ids']]
with open('essential_genes.txt', 'w') as f:
    f.write('\n'.join(essential_list))

# Double gene knockouts (synthetic lethality)
# WARNING: Computationally intensive for large models

# Focus on non-essential genes only (a synthetic lethal needs both singles viable)
non_essential = [g.id for g in model.genes if g.id not in essential_list]

# Run pairwise deletions (positional gene_list1/gene_list2; cap the O(n^2) sweep)
double_ko = double_gene_deletion(model, non_essential[:100], non_essential[:100])

# Synthetic lethality: neither single KO is lethal, but the double KO is
synthetic_lethal = double_ko[double_ko['growth'] < 0.01]
print(f'Synthetic lethal pairs: {len(synthetic_lethal)}')

# corda is the most turnkey native-Python extraction method.
from corda import CORDA, reaction_confidence

# Translate expression into CORDA confidence classes (-1 absent, 0 unknown, 1 low, 2 med, 3 high)
# through the GPR, then build the context model.
gene_conf = {g.id: 2 for g in model.genes}                       # derive from expression quantiles
rxn_conf = {r.id: reaction_confidence(r, gene_conf) for r in model.reactions}   # corda 0.5+ takes the Reaction object (reads r.gpr); the old GPR-string form was removed
opt = CORDA(model, rxn_conf)
opt.build()
context_model = opt.cobra_model('tissue')
print(f'Context model: {len(context_model.reactions)} reactions')
# Rebuild at 2-3 thresholds and report which reactions are threshold-dependent (hypotheses).

import escher

# Load model and solution
model = cobra.io.read_sbml_model('model_curated.xml')
solution = model.optimize()

# Create Escher map
builder = escher.Builder(
    map_name='e_coli_core.Core metabolism',
    model=model,
    reaction_data=solution.fluxes.to_dict()
)

builder.save_html('flux_map.html')