In high-tech science, breakthroughs often hinge on the smallest details – like the step before the experiment even begins.
Before a lab can detect a contaminant in drinking water, find performance-enhancing drugs in an athlete’s blood or measure volatile compounds in food, scientists must first extract the target chemicals from a tangle of other substances. It’s a step called sample preparation – and it’s one of the most frustrating bottlenecks in analytical science.
Now, a Cornell-born startup called Quantera Analytical thinks it has a fix.
Quantera’s technology is deceptively simple: a modular, cartridge-based system that replaces slow and solvent-heavy workflows with rigid, reusable sample collectors. These cartridges can either absorb vapors above a sample or dip directly into liquids such as blood, juice or plant extracts.
With intellectual property developed in Cornell University’s labs, Quantera Analytical received early guidance and patent protection support from the Center for Technology Licensing (CTL). Through CTL’s Ignite funding programs, the startup secured critical proof-of-concept support to refine its modular extraction technology and validate its market potential. Building on this foundation, Quantera has continued to advance from a Cornell innovation to a promising commercial venture, now positioned to make sample preparation faster, more affordable, and more sustainable across research and industry applications.
