Lyophilized Escherichia coli-based cell-free systems for robust, high-density, long-term storage.

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a versatile tool for rapid recombinant protein production and engineering. One drawback of cell-free technology is the necessity to store the major components-cell extracts and energy systems-below freezing in bulky aqueous solutions. Here we describe simple methods for lyophilizing extracts and preparing powdered energy systems for CFPS.