# LumbriCyc: towards metabolic modelling of earthworms

## TL;DR

This paper introduces genome-scale metabolic models for two earthworm species to better understand their biology and role in soil.

## Contribution

The creation of the first genome-scale metabolic models for Lumbricus rubellus and Lumbricus terrestris.

## Key findings

- BioCyc pathway genome databases were created for two earthworm species.
- Genome-scale metabolic models were developed for these species for the first time.

## Abstract

Until Charles Darwin published his book on earthworms in 1881, their role in the soil was largely unclear. By now, the importance of earthworms for soil fertility has been recognized and their phenomenology is being studied for various purposes. The investigation of earthworm molecular biology is, however, comparatively underdeveloped. This study describes the creation of BioCyc pathway genome databases for the two earthworms Lumbricus rubellus and Lumbricus terrestris, together with the first genome-scale metabolic models of these species.