Method for improving the stability of linear DNA in cell-free in vitro transcription/translation systems

1. A method for in vitro protein synthesis in a coupled transcription/translation system, the method comprising:

(a) preparing a reaction mixture comprising

(i) a prokaryotic cellular lysate comprising one or more exonucleases,

(ii) linear template DNA comprising a gene coding for the protein, wherein the template DNA comprises up to 10,000 base pairs,

(iii) linear sacrificial DNA wherein the sacrificial DNA is not transcribed in the coupled system,

(iv) nucleotides necessary for transcription of the template DNA into RNA, and

(v) amino acids necessary for translation of the RNA into the protein, and

(b) expressing and isolating the protein from the reaction mixture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial DNA is selected from the group consisting of sheared DNA from herring sperm, salmon sperm, and calf thymus.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellular lysate is an E coli lysate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial DNA is present at a concentration of 1 to 200 μg/ml of the reaction mixture.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial DNA is present at a concentration of 10 to 100 μg/ml of the reaction mixture.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial DNA has a length of at least 10 base pairs.