  Driven by advancements in high-throughput biological technologies and the
growing number of sequenced genomes, the construction of in silico models at
the genome scale has provided powerful tools to investigate a vast array of
biological systems and applications. Here, we review comprehensively the uses
of such models in industrial and medical biotechnology, including biofuel
generation, food production, and drug development. While the use of in silico
models is still in its early stages for delivering to industry, significant
initial successes have been achieved. For the cases presented here,
genome-scale models predict engineering strategies to enhance properties of
interest in an organism or to inhibit harmful mechanisms of pathogens. Going
forward, genome-scale in silico models promise to extend their application and
analysis scope to become a transformative tool in biotechnology.
