# Optimal metabolic pathway activation

Source: [Optimal metabolic pathway activation](<https://www.sota2.com/research/paper/68fa4da51e209131ce956438>)

Collection index: [llms.txt](<https://www.sota2.com/research/llms.txt>)

Data updated: 2025-10-28T13:55:06.061Z

Authors: Diego Oyarz\\'un, Brian Ingalls, Richard Middleton, Dimitrios Kalamatianos

Published: 2008-01-16T18:06:51.000Z

## Abstract

This paper deals with temporal enzyme distribution in the activation of biochemical pathways. Pathway activation arises when production of a certain biomolecule is required due to changing environmental conditions. Under the premise that biological systems have been optimized through evolutionary processes, a biologically meaningful optimal control problem is posed. In this setup, the enzyme concentrations are assumed to be time dependent and constrained by a limited overall enzyme production capacity, while the optimization criterion accounts for both time and resource usage.   Using geometric arguments we establish the bang-bang nature of the solution and reveal that each reaction must be sequentially activated in the same order as they appear in the pathway. The results hold for a broad range of enzyme dynamics which includes, but is not limited to, Mass Action, Michaelis-Menten and Hill Equation kinetics.

## Recorded benchmark results

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## Original sources and implementation

[Original paper](<https://arxiv.org/abs/0801.2447>)

[PDF](<https://arxiv.org/pdf/0801.2447.pdf>)