Abstract
We have developed a cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) technique that makes use of an extract prepared from the organs of the silkworm—an organism renowned in synthetic biology as a “protein manufacturing plant.” This extract, prepared from the posterior silk gland of silkworm larvae, has enabled us to develop a stable, high-yield, and exceedingly implementable CFPS pipeline: a silkworm CFPS system. By demonstrating its capability to efficiently produce a variety of disease-associated proteins, we have demonstrated the significant utility of this system in drug development research. In an effort to make our technology widely available to biological and pharmacological researchers, we have partnered with Ozeki Corporation to launch a venture corporation that leverages our silkworm CFPS system to provide contract-based protein production solutions.
