ME models: their formulation and applications

Genome-scale models of metabolism (M) and expression (E) in bacteria have been formulated.  A ME model computes 80% of the proteome by mass, all RNA molecules, lipids, cell walls and the DNA.  The non-ME proteome carries many creative functions some of which can be added into the ME, such as ATP maintenance functions and protein translocation processes.  SUch a ME model provides a context for the expression of synthetic constructs and can compute explicitly how they tax the hosts mass and energy resources.