A technology that impacts various industries.

Cell-free protein production is not a new way of producing a meat alternative. It is a discipline of synthetic biology, where scientist work on producing functional proteins (enzymes, small molecules, vaccines, etc.) through cell extracts instead of whole cells. To obtain these extracts cells are broken open (yes, sorry cells are still needed after all) and only organelles and molecules that are responsible for protein synthesis are collected. The cell organelle extract is mixed together with a medium containing an energy source (usually sugar), amino acids and salts needed for the synthesis. DNA or RNA is added, carrying the information of the target protein. After setting the mix to an ideal temperature (around 37°C) the cell-free protein synthesis starts.

The big four advantages of cell-free protein synthesis:

1)  Cells are little egoists. They don´t care about the protein you are interested in and focus more on maintenance and reproducing than anything else. The production of side products wastes resources as well as time. By just taking from the cells what is needed for the synthesis but taking away the “biological factor of free will”, the efficacy is enhanced.

2)  The success of DNA transformation (= cells taking up DNA from the outside) is usually very low. So even if you have a high amount of cells, not all of them would produce the target protein. By not having a cell membrane as a bouncer the DNA has direct access to the protein synthesis machinery.

3)  After the process is concluded no separation of target protein from cells is needed. There is still a purification step necessary, but it´s less complex.

4)  Cells are rather sensitive, so production needs to stop at a point where the target protein would reach a toxic or inhibiting concentration. But: No cells, no fuss!

In conclusion time and resources are reduced that would be needed for protein production within cells. Research in the field is advancing fast to optimize the efficacy of cell-free protein synthesis and the method is gaining more and more promise as a sustainable alternative. Our whole world is run by proteins. You use them every day when eating, washing your laundry, applying cosmetics or taking medication. The need for more and better proteins is rising. Now would be the perfect time to invest in the field! There are many innovative companies out there with different approaches that are worth taking a look at.