Table 1 Terms and definitions used in the analysis between in silico predictions and in vivo observations

True postive (TP)

In silico: viable phenotype

Results where the metabolic model predicts a viable phenotype and the actual phenotype is also viable

In vivo: viable phenotype

True negative (TN)

In silico: lethal phenotype In vivo: lethal phenotype

Results where the metabolic model predicts a lethal phenotype and the actual phenotype is also lethal

False positive (FP)

In silico: viable phenotypeIn vivo: lethal phenotype

Results where the metabolic model predicts a viable phenotype but the actual phenotype is lethal

False negative (FN)

In silico: lethal phenotype In vivo: viable phenotype

Results where the metabolic model predicts a lethal phenotype but the actual phenotype is viable

Overall accuracy

(TP + TN)/(TP + TN + FP + FN)

Percentage of correct predictions by the metabolic model

Negative prediction rate

(TN)/(TN + FN)

Percentage of negative predictions that are correctly predicted as lethal

Positive prediction rate

(TP)/(TP + FP)

Percentage of positive predictions that are correctly predicted as viable

Sensitivity

(TP)/(TP + FN)

Percentage of viable predictions correctly predicted as positive

Specificity

(TN)/(TN + FP)

Percentage of lethal predictions correctly predicted as negative