Can Flux Balance Analysis Predict Antibiotic Synergy? 107,296 Simulations Say No — and What to Do Instead
A companion to two ESKAPE preprints: standard LP-based flux balance analysis structurally cannot detect synergy between essential gene pairs (107,296 simulations across 3 pathogens, zero synergy found). The fix is to stop using FBA as a synergy calculator and use it as a feature generator — partial-inhibition simulations plus ML to curate drug targets, fully open-source.