Plasmidsaurus introduced a shallow‑depth RNA‑seq transcriptome service promising 2–3 day turnaround and $50 per academic sample, claiming it can replace qPCR and other targeted assays. The company is shipping stabilized lysates and delivering an interactive analysis interface; the launch has generated heavy demand and concern from academic core facilities about competitive pressure and pricing. Plasmidsaurus said it processes hundreds of samples daily at U.S. labs and aims to democratize transcriptomics by lowering cost and time barriers. Core labs and institutional stakeholders are evaluating operational and financial implications as faster, cheaper sequencing services shift the economics of gene expression workflows. Clarification: ‘‘Shallow‑depth RNA‑seq’’ produces fewer reads per sample but can suffice for gene expression quantification and differential analysis, offering a tradeoff between cost and sensitivity.