A team led by Professor Joongoo Lee at POSTECH has created an automated, modular method for building reconstituted cell-free systems—test-tube systems that produce proteins outside living cells. The innovation cuts the cost of assembling these systems by 95%, according to the researchers.
The breakthrough addresses a longstanding barrier to the widespread use of cell-free protein synthesis. Traditional methods for constructing these systems are labor-intensive and expensive, limiting their application in research and industry.
Professor Lee and his team developed a process that automates and modularizes the assembly of the necessary components. This approach reduces the time and specialized expertise required, making the systems more accessible to laboratories worldwide.
The cost reduction could accelerate research in synthetic biology, drug development, and diagnostics. By lowering the financial hurdle, more labs may adopt cell-free systems for rapid protein production and testing.
The findings were published in a peer-reviewed journal, though independent replication and broader adoption will be needed to confirm the method's scalability. Some experts note that real-world application may reveal additional challenges not captured in a lab setting.