We used a combination of genomics and metabolic modelling of >7K Klebs pneumo complex isolates to explore diversity and distribution of metabolic traits. Most individual traits are either core or very rare - just like genes in the total pan-genome.

We simulated 1300 growth phenotypes for each isolate (different carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur sources in minimal media +/- O2). Phenotype profiles differed by species - as we expected - and were generally consistent with formal species definitions.