Metabolic Engineering — Winter 2024

Define metabolic engineering. How does it differ from traditional genetic engineering?

What are the key metabolic pathways involved in energy production in cells?

Explain how cells regulate their metabolic pathways to respond to changes in environmental conditions and cellular needs.

Briefly explain the role of transport processes in cellular metabolism. How do they contribute to metabolic efficiency?

Explain the importance of regulating enzyme concentration in metabolic pathways

Comprehensively discuss cellular metabolism, covering Biosynthetic pathways (amino acid, nucleotide, and lipid biosynthesis)

What are the primary goals of metabolic engineering in industrial applications? Give one example of its application.

Describe the different types of cellular reactions. How do these reactions support cellular function?

What are the key mechanisms for regulating enzymatic activity in metabolic pathways? Provide two examples.

Distinguish between overdetermined and underdetermined systems in metabolic flux analysis.

Enlist limitations and potentials of metabolic engineering

Explain how growth energetics influences the overall metabolic rate of a cell

What are the unique challenges in studying branched pathways using Metabolic Control Analysis?

Explain the concept of stoichiometry in cellular reactions and its importance in metabolic modeling

Discuss the concept of global control in metabolic networks and does it differ from local control?

Provide an overview of metabolic pathway synthesis algorithms. Describe how these algorithms support the design and regulation of metabolic pathways, and discuss their applications in metabolic engineering.

Define the concept of elasticity coefficients in Metabolic Control Analysis

Explain the core principles behind metabolic flux analysis and its significance in understanding cellular metabolism.

Discuss how reaction rates, dynamic mass balances, yield coefficients, and linear rate equations are applied in creating comprehensive models of cellular metabolism.1

Explain the fundamental principles of Metabolic Control Analysis

Define flux control coefficient in MCA. How is it used to measure control within a metabolic pathway?

Provide specific examples of how metabolic flux analysis has been used to improve strain engineering

Describe random mutagenesis

How are flux control coefficients determined experimentally? Discuss the challenges and limitations of these methods.

Provide case studies of how metabolic flux analysis is used for drug development and disease diagnosis