Increasingly, systems biology is gaining relevance in basic and applied research. The combination of computational biology with wet lab produces a synergy that results in an exponential increase in knowledge of biological systems. The study of microorganisms such as Staphylococcus epidermidis RP62A enables the researcher to understand better its metabolic network, which allows the design of effective strategies to treat infections caused by this species or others. S. epidermidis is the second cause of infection in patients with joint implants, so treating its proliferation seems vital for public health. There are different approaches to the analysis of metabolic networks. Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) is one of the most widespread streams. It allows the study of large metabolic networks, their structural properties, the optimization of metabolic flux, and the search for intervention strategies to modify the state of the metabolic network. This work presents the validation of the Staphylococcus epidermidis RP62A metabolic network model elaborated by Díaz-Calvo et al.. Then, we elaborate further on the network analysis’s essential reactions, classifying them. Finally, we introduce some proposals to intervene in the network and design knock-outs.
Biology and Life Sciences, Immunology and Microbiology
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