Cell-Free Protein Expression Is a Type of Biotechnology Approach, Which Enables the Production of Target Protein without Using Living Cells

 

Cell-free protein expression is done all over the world, especially in a region such as the United States.  Cell-free protein expression is the biological process of creating a specific protein from a precursor protein. It's usually done by the regulation of gene expression in an animal, plant, or even human being so that it produces large amounts of an unnatural protein called a transgenic protein. Some examples of transgenic proteins are allergens and viruses. They can also be introduced to the host species by eating contaminated food or water. In either case, the cell-free protein expression is abnormal and can cause an illness in the infected person.

Cell-free protein expression is the process that directs the DNA sequence of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) to move from the promoters to the genes. The messenger ribonucleic acid carries the genes that encode the protein molecule. On the other hand, transcription is the process that controls the sequence of mRNA transcripts that carry the protein molecules. Both processes are involved in protein production but the process of translation is much more complex.

Cell-free protein expression involves breaking down the protein molecules into smaller molecules called peptides. The peptides then undergo a series of chemical reactions that will help them join together again. The most commonly used enzymes for protein synthesis are the proteases that are naturally present in the body. Many complex chemical pathways link different enzymes together to catalyze different reactions. It's very complicated and technical and needs lots of skills and knowledge for successful cell-free protein expression.

In regions such as the United States, the increasing prevalence of biotech companies has increased the processes such as cell-free protein expression. For instance, according to Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Northern California has the largest cluster of biotech companies in the U.S. and consists of around 1,377 life science and biotech companies. Another important way of achieving cell-free protein expression involves the use of drug discovery approaches. Drug discovery drug approaches are directed towards discovering the precise set of amino acids that make up the proteins of interest. Most drug discovery approaches focus on the first step in protein production.