Journal
LIFE-BASEL
Volume 11, Issue 6, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/life11060551
Keywords
synthetic biology; cell-free protein synthesis; TX-TL; transcription and translation; patent; industry
Categories
Funding
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency [HDTRA1-15-10052/P00001, HDTRA-12-01-0004]
- National Institutes of Health [1U19AI142780-01]
- Army Research Office [W911NF2010195, W911NF-18-1-0200, W911NF-16-1-0372]
- Department of Energy [DE-SC0018249]
- Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Grant [DE-EE0008343]
- National Science Foundation Grants [1936789, 1844336]
- Air Force Research Laboratory Center of Excellence [FA8650-15-2-5518]
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [OPP1217652]
- David and Lucile Packard Foundation
- Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Program
- NIH [5R21EB025938]
- ARCS
- National Science Foundation Grant [1806366]
- U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) [W911NF2010195] Funding Source: U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1806366] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Directorate For Engineering
- Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys [1844336] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Materials Research [1806366] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
- Directorate For Engineering [1936789] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Cell-free synthetic biology is a mature field with key features such as bypassing evolution mechanisms, circumventing molecular transport limitations across cell walls, and providing high yield and tolerance. Analysis shows an increase in patent filings and publications, changes in innovation landscape, and a growing prevalence of biotechnology companies using cell-free systems.
Cell-free synthetic biology is a maturing field that aims to assemble biomolecular reactions outside cells for compelling applications in drug discovery, metabolic engineering, biomanufacturing, diagnostics, and education. Cell-free systems have several key features. They circumvent mechanisms that have evolved to facilitate species survival, bypass limitations on molecular transport across the cell wall, enable high-yielding and rapid synthesis of proteins without creating recombinant cells, and provide high tolerance towards toxic substrates or products. Here, we analyze similar to 750 published patents and similar to 2000 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the field of cell-free systems. Three hallmarks emerged. First, we found that both patent filings and manuscript publications per year are significantly increasing (five-fold and 1.5-fold over the last decade, respectively). Second, we observed that the innovation landscape has changed. Patent applications were dominated by Japan in the early 2000s before shifting to China and the USA in recent years. Finally, we discovered an increasing prevalence of biotechnology companies using cell-free systems. Our analysis has broad implications on the future development of cell-free synthetic biology for commercial and industrial applications.
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