Abstract
Since Nirenberg and Matthaei used cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) to elucidate the genetic code in the early 1960s [1], the technology has been developed over the course of decades and applied to studying both fundamental and applied biology [2]. Cell-free synthetic biology integrating CFPS with synthetic biology has received attention as a powerful and rapid approach to characterize and engineer natural biological systems. The open nature of cell-free (or in vitro) biological platforms compared to in vivo systems brings an unprecedented level of control and freedom in design [3]. This versatile engineering toolkit has been used for debugging biological networks, constructing artificial cells, screening protein libraries, prototyping genetic circuits, developing biosensors, producing metabolites, and synthesizing complex proteins including antibodies, toxic proteins, membrane proteins, and novel proteins containing nonstandard (unnatural) amino acids. The Methods and Protocols "Cell-Free Synthetic Biology" Special Issue consists of a series of reviews, protocols, benchmarks, and research articles describing the current development and applications of cell-free synthetic biology in diverse areas. [...].
Highlights
Interest in cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is growing, new users often face technical and functional issues in choosing and executing the CFPS platform that best suits their needs
An extensive review article by Gregorio et al [4] provides a guide to help new users overcome the barriers to implementing CFPS platforms in research laboratories
CFPS platforms derived from diverse microorganisms and cell lines can be divided into two categories, including high adoption and low adoption platforms, by clarifying the similarities and differences among cell-free platforms
Summary
Interest in CFPS is growing, new users often face technical and functional issues in choosing and executing the CFPS platform that best suits their needs. An extensive review article by Gregorio et al [4] provides a guide to help new users overcome the barriers to implementing CFPS platforms in research laboratories. Another review article by Jeong et al [5] summarizes the use of cell-free platforms for engineering synthetic biological circuits and systems.
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