Figure 1

Schematic overview of the framework. The following optimization objectives (fitness functions) were considered: (a) calculating metabolic fluxes through equal-weighting of the EMs, (b) calculating metabolic fluxes through weighting the EMs based on their corresponding Gibbs free energy cost, and (c) minimizing the average Gibbs free energy cost of EMs forming both product and biomass. The free energy cost of a reaction route was calculated as the stoichiometric sum of its reaction Gibbs energies. Reaction routes with net negative energy costs are considered favorable.