A joint research team from Austria and Ghana developed an open-source, freeze-dried reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for pathogen detection optimized for resource-limited settings. This assay uses nonproprietary enzymes and tolerates unpurified ‘dirty’ samples, with a simple visible color change readout obviating complex equipment needs. Validation studies demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 detection, with stable performance during room-temperature shipping between continents. The estimated reagent cost is approximately $0.30 per test, representing a major advancement in accessible molecular diagnostics.