The growing impact of lyophilized cell-free protein expression systems

Abstract

Recently reported shelf-stable, on-demand protein synthesis platforms are enabling new possibilities in biotherapeutics, biosensing, biocatalysis, and high throughput protein expression. Lyophilized cell-free protein expression systems not only overcome cold-storage limitations, but also enable stockpiling for on-demand synthesis and completely sterilize the protein synthesis platform. Recently reported high-yield synthesis of cytotoxic protein Onconase from lyophilized E. coli extract preparations demonstrates the utility of lyophilized cell-free protein expression and its potential for creating on-demand biotherapeutics, vaccines, biosensors, biocatalysts, and high throughput protein synthesis.

Keywords: cell-free; cfps; freeze dry; lyophilize; onconase; protein expression; protein synthesis; tx-tl.

Figure 1.

Future applications of shelf-stable protein expression systems. Lyophilized protein expression reactions are activated by the addition of water and nucleic acid, and have the potential to enable innovative applications in personalized biotherapeutics and vaccines, biotherapeutic and vaccine production in remote locations, biosensing, on-demand biocatalysis, and high throughput production.