aiming-lab/autoresearchclaw/fba-simulator
Claude Code and agent skill by aiming-lab/autoresearchclaw
- community
Checking that the SKILL.md file is still in the repository.
Run Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) and related constraint-based simulations using COBRApy. Covers standard FBA, parsimonious FBA (pFBA), Flux Variability Analysis (FVA), loopless FBA, gene/reaction knockouts, and carbon source swapping. Outputs flux distributions and CSV files.
Install
npx vskill@latest install aiming-lab/autoresearchclaw/fba-simulatorSKILL.md
Overview
The fba-simulator skill executes constraint-based metabolic simulations on a validated COBRApy model. FBA solves a linear program to find the flux distribution that maximizes (or minimizes) the objective function subject to stoichiometric and thermodynamic constraints.
This skill sits between model construction (gsmm-builder) and biological interpretation (flux-analyzer). All simulations are non-destructive: COBRApy context managers restore model state after each perturbation.
Workflow
Step 1 — Load Validated Model
Step 2 — Standard FBA
FBA maximizes the objective (typically biomass) subject to stoichiometric steady-state constraints: S·v = 0, lb ≤ v ≤ ub.
Step 3 — Parsimonious FBA (pFBA)
pFBA first maximizes growth, then minimizes total absolute flux, producing the most "economical" solution consistent with maximum growth. This avoids biologically unrealistic high-flux split cycles.
Step 4 — Flux Variability Analysis (FVA)
FVA computes the minimum and maximum flux each reaction can carry while maintaining at least fraction_of_optimum of the maximum growth rate. This reveals which fluxes are uniquely determined vs. flexible.
Step 5 — Loopless FBA
Standard FBA may route flux through thermodynamically infeasible energy- generating cycles. Loopless FBA enforces thermodynamic feasibility.
Step 6 — Gene Knockout Simulations
Step 7 — Reaction Knockout Simulations
Step 8 — Carbon Source Swapping
Step 9 — Aggregate and Save Results
Key Conventions
| Parameter | Recommended Value | Rationale | |
|---|---|---|---|
fraction_of_optimum (FVA) | 0.9 | 10% growth slack — realistic variability | |
| Essentiality threshold | growth < 5% WT | Standard in metabolic engineering | |
| pFBA norm | L1 (sum abs fluxes) | COBRApy default; correlates with enzyme cost | |
| Loopless FBA | Use for publication | Standard FBA may inflate central metabolism | |
processes (FVA) | 4 or CPU count | Scales near-linearly; avoid >8 for small models |
Output File Conventions
| File | Content | |
|---|---|---|
fba_fluxes.csv | Standard FBA flux vector | |
pfba_fluxes.csv | pFBA flux vector (minimum total flux) | |
fva_result.csv | FVA minimum/maximum per reaction | |
loopless_fluxes.csv | Loopless-constrained flux vector | |
gene_deletions.csv | Growth rate for each single gene KO | |
reaction_deletions.csv | Growth rate for each single reaction KO | |
carbon_source_comparison.csv | Growth across different carbon sources | |
simulation_summary.json | Scalar summary of all simulation runs |
Common Failure Modes
- `solution.status = "infeasible"`: medium is too restrictive or objective
reaction bounds are wrong. Run gsmm-validator first.
- Negative growth in pFBA: can occur if
cobra.flux_analysis.pfbais
called on an infeasible model — always check model.optimize() first.
- FVA hangs: reduce
processesor setloopless=False; large models
(>10,000 reactions) may require HPC clusters.
- Carbon source absent from model: check BIGG ID spelling carefully;
use model.reactions.query("EX_") to list available exchanges.
Security
- Security scanPassed, 100 of 100Pattern checks on the skill's files.
- Model reviewNot runA model review is scheduled for the next rescan.
Quality evaluation
- Task evaluationNot runNo evaluation yet. Run one in Skill Studio.
Source
- SKILL.md in the repositoryCheckingexternal/agents/Biology-Agent/skills/fba-simulator/SKILL.md
Popularity
- Repository stars
- 13,869
- Repository forks
- 1,628
- 7-day trend score
- 48
Stars and forks are for the whole GitHub repository, not this skill alone. Not refreshed yet.
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