KEY TAKEAWAYS

Cell-free expression is a modular system and protocols can be adjusted to different targets.

E. coli lysates represent an affordable and efficient production pipeline giving fast access to non-truncated GPCR structures in active conformation.

Co-translational insertion of membrane proteins into preformed nanoparticles avoids any detergent contacts and reduces sample preparation procedures to less than 24 hours.

Cell-free expression is an interesting alternative platform for the production of membrane proteins that are difficult to synthesize in conventional cell-based expression systems.

Dr. Frank Bernhard

Frank Bernhard is leader of the cell-free expression unit at the Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance at the Goethe University Frankfurt. After research stays in Germany, USA and Australia, he joined as lab leader the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry at the University Frankfurt. The portfolio of the cell-free expression centre includes the development of cell-free lysates, protein labelling, nanoparticle technologies as well as the tailored design of membrane protein expression protocols. A current focus is the structural evaluation of cell-free synthesized GPCRs and their complexes in lipid environments and the concerted functional characterization of GPCRs in vitro and in vivo by applying a new nanotransfer technique.

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