Meta-PURE: End-Use-Driven Cell-Free Modules Cell-free systems reduce biology to its most basic parts, simplifying the complexity of traditional biomanufacturing. However, scientists still do not have an efficient way to “plug-and-play” these individual cell-free pieces. This project addresses this gap by developing a modular, standardized platform for cell-free bioprocessing. Instead of custom, one-off designs, the project creates eight reusable modules covering essential functions like energy generation and protein expression. These “ready-to-use” modules make it easier to mix and match capabilities, allowing for faster, more efficient product development. The team will demonstrate how modular design and standardized kits can reduce costs, improve accessibility, and boost productivity across three market-relevant targets. In doing so, this project aims to make cell-free technologies broadly available and expand the use of cell-free technologies across the U.S. bioeconomy. This project will also cultivate the next generation of biotechnology talent through a dynamic, cross-sector team of postdocs and graduate students—uniting expertise from industry, academia, and government—to pioneer and scale the future of cell-free biomanufacturing. The project pioneers a modular, standardized framework to address bottlenecks for scaling cell-free bioprocessing. The project will develop, characterize, and integrate eight distinct functional modules common across cell-free systems: t