| Background: Flux balance and network-based pathway analyses are theoretical tools aimed to find optimal steady state flux distributions in a metabolic network subject to additional constraints on the rates of the reaction steps. Although these methods are mathematically accurate, there are several physicochemical and computational aspects that are questionable and misleading. In particular, it is well known that the flux balance analysis may result in multiple flux distributions for the same objective function. 

Results: The flux balance and network-based pathway analyses are reformulated in terms of reaction routes (RRs), a theoretical framework that has been developed by Horiuti over 50 years ago. Not only does the... |
