The use of cell-free production systems in droplet microfluidic devices has gained significant interest during the last decade. Encapsulating DNA replication, RNA transcription, and protein expression systems in water-in-oil drops allows for the interrogation of unique molecules and high-throughput screening of libraries of industrial and biomedical interest. Furthermore, the use of such systems in closed compartments enables the evaluation of various properties of novel synthetic or minimal cells. In this chapter, we review the latest advances in the usage of the cell-free macromolecule production toolbox in droplets, with a special emphasis on new on-chip technologies for the amplification, transcription, expression, screening, and directed evolution of biomolecules.
Keywords: Cell-free production system; DNA replication; Directed evolution; Droplet microfluidics; Protein expression; Protein screening.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.