Geometric algorithms for sampling the flux space of metabolic networks

Abstract

Systems Biology is a fundamental field and paradigm that introduces a new era in Biology. The crux of its functionality and usefulness relies on metabolic networks that model the reactions occurring inside an organism and provide the means to understand the underlying mechanisms that govern biological systems. Even more, metabolic networks have a broader impact that ranges from resolution of ecosystems to personalized medicine. ACM Subject Classification Mathematics of computing→Mathematical software; Applied computing→ Systems biology; Computing methodologies→Modeling and simulationKeywords and phrases Flux analysis, metabolic networks, convex polytopes, random walks, sampling Acknowledgements We thank Ioannis Emiris for his useful comments.