# Growth medium definition

#### Growth medium file format

A user gapfill medium can be defined in a 3-column comma-(csv) or tab-(tsv)-separated table.

- **1st column** "compounds": Should list the compounds' identifier
- **2nd column** "name": List of compound names
- **3rd column** "maxFlux": Defines the maximum uptake rate of the compound in `mmol/gDW/hr`  

Example: M9-like medium (aerobic) with limited Glucose+Oxygen uptake and virtually unlimited salts/ions.

```
compounds,name,maxFlux
cpd00001,H2O,100
cpd00007,O2,10
cpd00009,Phosphate,100
cpd00027,D-Glucose,5
cpd00030,Mn2+,100
cpd00034,Zn2+,100
cpd00048,Sulfate,100
cpd00058,Cu2+,100
cpd00063,Ca2+,100
cpd00067,H+,100
cpd00099,Cl-,100
cpd00149,Co2+,100
cpd00205,K+,100
cpd00254,Mg,100
cpd00531,Hg2+,100
cpd00971,Na+,100
cpd01012,Cd2+,100
cpd01048,Arsenate,100
cpd10515,Fe2+,100
cpd10516,fe3,100
cpd11595,chromate,100
cpd00013,NH3,100
```

#### List of potential nutrients

A table with all nutrients (IDs and names), that can be part of a growth medium definition is stored in your gapseq installation (`dat/nutrients.tsv`) or accessed also [directly on github](https://github.com/jotech/gapseq/blob/master/dat/nutrients.tsv).

A list of database-specific compounds, which might diverge from metabolite entries in other databases, is given in the [database section](../database/biochemistry).

#### Predicting a growth medium

Comming up with a suited growth medium for gapfilling and flux-balance-analysis can be difficult, especially for organisms that are not-yet well characterized in their growth requirements.

gapseq provides a module that can predict a growth medium based on the results generated by `gapseq find` and `gapseq draft`. The predicted growth medium can directly be used also as gapfilling medium in `gapseq fill`.

The medium prediction module requires two inputs: The pathway prediction table (generated by `gapseq find`) and the draft model (generated by `gapseq draft`). An example:

```bash
gapseq medium -m ecoli-draft.RDS -p ecoli-all-Pathways.tbl
```

Using the optional flag `-c` specific metabolites can be added/removed from the medium prediction. The syntax for the flag option is

`-c "[CompoundID_1]:[maxFlux_1];[CompoundID_2]:[maxFlux_2]"`.

For example, to remove oxygen from the final medium you can use:

```bash
gapseq medium -m ecoli-draft.RDS -p ecoli-all-Pathways.tbl -c "cpd00007:0"
```

This option is for instance helpful to ensure an anaerobic environment.

To remove oxygen and add L-Lactate with 10 mmol/gDW/hr to the final medium you can use:

```bash
gapseq medium -m ecoli-draft.RDS -p ecoli-all-Pathways.tbl -c "cpd00007:0;cpd00159:10"
```