Freeze-Dried Cell-Free Synthetic Biology for Diagnostics, Biomanufacturing, and Education

Synthetic biology typically utilizes living cells as the chassis for the implementation of artificial genetic circuits. However, this imposes a number of constraints on the utility of using such circuits, as living cells are dependent on feedstocks for viability, transportation and storage often requires refrigerated cold chains, and there are concerns regarding the biocontainment of genetically engineered organisms. We present recent advances that circumvents many of these limitations by demonstrating that abiotic cell-free reactions can be freeze-dried into a shelf-stable format that obviates cold chain requirements and is compatible with most synthetic biology circuits. Activation of these freeze-dried cell-free synthetic biology circuits simply requires the addition of water. We have adapted this technology for applications in inexpensive field-ready diagnostics, on-demand portable biomanufacturing, and versatile educational kits that can be easily implemented in resource-limited environments. We believe this freeze-dried cell-free approach will enable the broad application of synthetic biology in areas that have hitherto have been inaccessible due to a reliance on living systems.