Innovative Solutions for Difficult-to-Express Proteins: Cell-Free Systems and AI-Driven Advances

Cell-free protein expression market projected to grow from USD 322 million in 2025 to USD 627 million by 2035, enabling faster, economical synthesis of complex, hard-to-express proteins like membrane proteins and toxic enzymes1.

In vitro protein expression market to reach US$274.2M in 2026, driven by demand for efficient synthesis of unstable and cytotoxic proteins, with E. coli-based systems leading due to high yield and low cost3.

Shiru's Expressor tool uses AI/ML to predict protein expression in microbial systems, optimizing production of animal protein alternatives for food, cosmetics, and pharma2.

Helaina Inc. developed secretion signal peptides from yeast to enhance extracellular production of mammalian proteins like human milk proteins IgA and lactoferrin2.

Innovations include advanced recombinant kits, high-throughput automation, and AI-based template design for enzyme engineering, structural biology, and synthetic biology applications34.

Startups are advancing specialized cell-free systems for ultra-fast protein synthesis, targeting drug discovery and protein variant screening4.

Sources:

1. https://www.rootsanalysis.com/reports/cell-free-expression-market.html

2. https://greyb.com/blog/alternative-protein-trends/

3. https://www.openpr.com/news/4330594/in-vitro-protein-expression-market-to-grow-from-us-274-2m-in-2026

4. https://www.precedenceresearch.com/cell-free-protein-expression-market