Towards metagenome-scale models for industrial applications — the case of Lactic Acid Bacteria

We review the uses and limitations of modelling approaches that are in use in the field of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). We describe recent developments in model construction and computational methods, starting from application of such models to monocultures. However, since most applications in food biotechnology involve complex nutrient environments and mixed cultures, we extend the scope to discuss developments in modelling such complex systems. With metagenomics and meta-functional genomics data becoming available, the developments in genome-scale community models are discussed. We conclude that exploratory tools are available and useful, but truly predictive mechanistic models will remain a major challenge in the field.

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► Genome-scale metabolic modelling is being increasingly applied in LAB research.
► Novel techniques that broaden applicability of models remain to be applied to LAB.
► Additional constraints allow better predictions of genome-scale metabolic models.
► Novel approaches to move from modelling monocultures to mixed cultures are being developed.
► The feasibility of metagenome-based modelling approaches is being appreciated.