Advancing Cell-Free Manufacturing: Challenges in Scale-up and Automation Workshop Report

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) convened the workshop Advancing Cell-free Manufacturing: Challenges in Scale-up and Automation in Rockville, Maryland in February 2024. This workshop brought together over fifty participants, representing the interests and needs of stakeholders in academic, industrial, and government settings. Together, through various plenary discussions, case studies, and working groups, participants broadly surveyed the field and focused on identifying both near-term and long-term needs to support cell-free expression systems. This report synthesizes the workshop discussion and presents actionable recommendations aimed at removing the remaining barriers to realizing the full impact of CFE systems on biomanufacturing and applications of biotechnology.