Preservation and reconstitution of cell-free protein expression systems

A method of preserving a cell-free protein expression system, comprising:

• extracting cellular components necessary for protein expression from a whole cell to create a cell extract;
• dissolving trehalose in the cell extract to provide a cell extract solution;
• filtering the cell extract solution or adding a first anti-fouling agent to the cell extract solution to prevent fouling of the cell extract solution;
• preserving the cell extract solution by drying the cell extract solution in an incubator to provide a preserved cell extract, wherein the preserved cell extract is stable for at least three months at 37° C. temperature;
• dissolving trehalose in a reaction buffer to provide a reaction buffer solution;
• filtering the reaction buffer solution or adding a second anti-fouling agent to the reaction buffer solution to prevent fouling of the reaction buffer solution;
• preserving the reaction buffer by drying the reaction buffer solution in an incubator to provide a preserved reaction buffer;
• and
• storing an energy source in a dry form to provide a preserved energy source,
• wherein the cell extract, the reaction buffer, and the energy source are preserved separately in a dry form and the preserved cell extract, preserved reaction buffer, and preserved energy source are components of the cell-free protein expression system.