Fully automated Small-Scale Cell-Free Protein Synthesis enables parallel expression and purification of proteins in less than four hours
Cell-free protein synthesis bypasses living cells by using crude lysates or reconstituted transcription–translation systems to express proteins directly from DNA templates. Our fully automated workflow enables rapid, flexible, and scalable cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS), accelerating the path from DNA to purified protein. Using Obi-Wan, an Opentrons Labworks Inc. OT-2 liquid-handling robot, CFPS reactions are assembled in a plate-based format with high precision and reproducibility. This setup supports anything from a single construct to 96 unique reactions in parallel, making it ideal for expression screening and small-scale protein production.
Following expression, Boba, an Agilent Technologies Bravo liquid-handling platform, performs automated affinity tag-based protein purification using Biotage PhyTips®. This seamless integration of expression and purification ensures consistent handling, minimal hands-on time, and rapid turnaround. The entire workflow from plasmid DNA to purified protein is completed in less than four hours, enabling same-day decision-making and iterative experimental design.
Figure 1: Workflow for the small-scale auotmated CFPS and rapid purification.
Protein Expression Screening Services
Protein expression screening at the tens-of-micrograms scale is offered through Protein Production Sweden (PPS). The CFPS module is hosted at the Swedish NMR Centre, University of Gothenburg, where state-of-the-art automation and expertise support efficient evaluation of protein constructs, expression conditions, and purification strategies.
This service is well suited for:
- Rapid construct screening
- Difficult-to-express proteins
- High-throughput expression optimization
- Early-stage feasibility and Structural biology pre-screens
- Synthetic biology part characterization
- Directed evolution and variant screening
The small reaction volumes significantly reduce reagent costs while maintaining sufficient yield for analytical and functional assays.
What we offer:
- High-throughput CFPS: 1–96 reactions in parallel
- Rapid turnaround: purified protein in ≤ 4 hours
- Automated purification: Agilent Bravo + Biotage PhyTips®
- Screening scale: tens-of-micrograms protein yield
- Minimal manual handling: improved reproducibility and efficiency
Get in Touch
To learn how CFPS can accelerate your protein production pipeline, contact us through the Protein Production Sweden functional mailbox or reach out directly to Ashish Kawale to discuss how our automated CFPS capabilities can support your research goals.