Maltose Binding Protein (MBP) tags have demonstrated utility to increase expression and proper folding of proteins expressed in bacteria leading to improved solubility of the partner protein. MBP allows one to use a simple capture affinity step on amylose-agarose columns, resulting in a protein that is often 70-90% pure. In addition to protein-isolation applications, MBP provides a high degree of translation and facilitates the proper folding and solubility of the target protein. MBP fusion proteins can also be expressed in yeast.