Unlocking Applications of Cell-Free Biotechnology through Enhanced Shelf Life and Productivity of E. coli Extracts

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a platform biotechnology that enables a breadth of applications. However, field applications remain limited due to the poor shelf-stability of aqueous cell extracts required for CFPS. Lyophilization of E. coli extracts improves shelf life but remains insufficient for extended storage at room temperature. To address this limitation, we mapped the chemical space of ten low-cost additives with four distinct mechanisms of action in a combinatorial manner to identify formulations capable of stabilizing lyophilized cell extract. We report three key findings: (1) unique additive formulations that maintain full productivity of cell extracts stored at 4 °C and 23 °C; (2) additive formulations that enhance extract productivity by nearly 2-fold; (3) a machine learning algorithm that provides predictive capacity for the stabilizing effects of additive formulations that were not tested experimentally. These findings provide a simple and low-cost advance toward making CFPS field-ready and cost-competitive for biomanufacturing.