Recent advances on constraint-based models by integrating machine learning

Research that meaningfully integrates constraint-based modeling with machine learning is at its infancy but holds much promise. Here, we consider where machine learning has been implemented within the constraint-based modeling reconstruction framework and highlight the need to develop approaches that can identify meaningful features from large-scale data and connect them to biological mechanisms to establish causality to connect genotype to phenotype. We motivate the construction of iterative integrative schemes where machine learning can fine-tune the input constraints in a constraint-based model or contrarily, constraint-based model simulation results are analyzed by machine learning and reconciled with experimental data. This can iteratively refine a constraint-based model until there is consistency between experimental data, machine learning results, and constraint-based model simulations.