Transformative Biotech said it is advancing extraction-free PCR chemistry aimed at cutting a major bottleneck in molecular testing: the sample extraction step. The approach is being marketed to infectious-disease diagnostic developers and is also tied to an internal handheld device plan. The company’s patented buffer chemistry includes antimicrobials and ribonuclease inhibitors, plus a chemical to break bonds between proteins, with room-temperature storage enabled through nucleic acid stabilization. The platform traces back to University of Colorado Boulder, which licensed the technology to Summit Biolabs during the COVID-19 testing surge. Transformative acquired Summit in 2023 and cited performance benchmarks from Summit’s testing at scale, including a reported limit of detection of 4 viral copies per milliliter and high-throughput processing during the pandemic period. The planned handheld device, described as @Anywhere, is expected to be a smartphone-driven dongle with a stated $50 device target and around $10 per test cost. If validated, the approach could reduce labor and turnaround constraints that limit PCR deployment outside centralized labs.