The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service awarded a $43,192 firm fixed-price purchase order to Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. for a Gene Gun System with 100/120V power capability on August 27, 2025. The system will be delivered to the USDA ARS Cereal Disease Lab in St. Paul, Minnesota by September 28, 2025. The gene gun system is a microparticle transfection device capable of direct particle bombardment for achieving transient and stable gene expression across various cell types including plants, animals, and fungi—a critical capability for genetic research and crop development initiatives. The procurement was conducted as an unrestricted acquisition using simplified acquisition procedures under FAR Part 13 and commercial item procedures, with award determined through lowest price technically acceptable evaluation methodology.
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., headquartered in Hercules, California, is an established federal contractor supplying specialized laboratory equipment and diagnostic systems to numerous government agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health. This purchase order represents a direct procurement outside of Bio-Rad's existing indefinite delivery contracts with federal agencies and reflects the Agricultural Research Service's requirement for advanced scientific instrumentation to support agricultural research and crop improvement programs. No small business set-aside designation applied to this acquisition.