The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, awarded a purchase order to Beacon Scientific Inc. on September 1, 2026, for $170,680 to design and produce lateral flow assay strips for an HIV nucleic acid diagnostic test, with completion by February 28, 2027.
Performance occurs in San Diego, California. The contractor must deliver 200 or more prototype strips within three months and 4,000 final strips within four months. Strips must detect amplified HIV DNA using gold-conjugated antibodies and biotin-conjugated nucleic acids produced through loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), achieving specified sensitivity and specificity targets within 30–40 minutes with minimal false positive rates. Required shelf-life is at least one year under refrigeration and three months at room temperature, confirmed through accelerated stability testing. The CDC provides positive and negative control LAMP reactions, LAMP reagents, and all clinical and infectious-materials testing. All deliverables, files, and design histories become federal government property to support CDC's future manufacturing through competitive contracts. The solicitation closed July 29, 2026.