The Cell as a Decision-Making Unit

Abstract

Each living cell needs to solve a resource allocation problem, in which multiple inputs (uptake fluxes) and outputs (secretion fluxes) are the outcome of the stoichiometry of biochemical pathways and the regulation of metabolic enzymes. Quantifying the efficiency with which a cell solves this resource allocation problem constitutes a basic question in "cellular economics.'' In this letter, we propose the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to define multidimensional yields that can capture the multidimensional nature of cell input/output processes. The DEA, by treating cells as decision-making units, enables one to introduce the concept of efficiency frontier that is both intimately connected to the shadow prices of flux balance analysis and useful to estimate the phenotypic phase space from experimental measurements of fluxes.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 23, 2016
Accession Number
AD1061829

Entities

People

  • Daniel Segrè
  • Lorenzo Castelli
  • Raffaele Pesenti

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Cell Physiological Processes
  • Efficiency
  • Engineering
  • Experimental Data
  • Index Terms
  • Linear Programming
  • Measurement
  • Metabolic Engineering
  • Metabolism
  • Metabolites
  • Models
  • Operations Research
  • Production
  • Scale Models
  • Secretion
  • Steady State

Readers

  • Oncology
  • Parallel and Distributed Computing.
  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.

Technology Areas

  • Space