Brand_Name_Justification-Redacted.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

PR: 0040661735

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey plans to contract by means other than full and open competition. This document sets forth the justification and approval for award of a brand-name on a limited source basis as required by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

2. Nature of Action Being Approved.

The U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, requests award of a new procurement during FY24 for a SeqStudio Flex 24-capillary genetic analyzer.

3. Description of Supplies or Services.

The Molecular Ecology Laboratory at the Fort Collins Science Center requests an award to purchase a SeqStudio Flex 24-capillary Genetic Analyzer from Thermo Fisher Scientific. The Molecular Ecology Laboratory currently has an AB 3500 Genetic Analyzer for Sanger sequencing and fragment analysis however it was purchased in 2010 and is now at the end of its life-cycle. The SeqStudio Flex is the next evolution in capillary electrophoresis from Thermo Fisher Scientific and was designed to be compatible with its predecessor’s consumables to foster an easy transition.

The Seq Studio Flex Genetic Analyzer has these key features:

Sanger sequencing and fragment analysis applications, and the ability to run both applications on the same plate

24-capillary 4-plate capacity for either 8-tube strips, 96-well plates, or 384-well plates Flexible scheduling with continuous plate loading and sample reprioritization without having to terminate the current run Interactive on-board touchscreen computer with easy-to-use interface Autocalibration On-instrument tracking of consumables using Radio frequency identification

(RFID) and an internal barcode reader Easy-to-install 50 cm capillary arrays.

Pre-packaged consumables (compatible with AB 3500 Genetic Analyzers) Produces results files in ABI format for sequencing and FSA format for fragment analysis, which are compatible with the secondary analysis software Sequence Analysis Software and GeneMapper

The instrument must also be provided with:

GeneMapper Full v6.1 software SeqStudio 25FL SEQFRAG install kit

Dell Computer Workstation with flat-screen monitor One year factory warranty SmartStart one day on-site training led by an experienced field application specialist

4. Estimated Dollar Value.

The estimated cost is

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is the sole manufacturer of the SeqStudio Flex 24-capillary Genetic Analyzer, it’s consumables, service and accessories. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s trained service engineers and authorized partners are the only personnel certified to perform preventative maintenance and service work on the SeqStudio Flex 24-capillary Genetic Analyzer.

The results from fragment analysis applications can vary dramatically between systems due to numerous issues including differences in chemistry, size standards, supported primer dye-labels, sample migration/electrophoretic mobility, and analysis software used to estimate allele size.

Molecular Ecology Laboratory has been collecting/analyzing data on ThermoFisher’s AB3500 for over 13 years and has processed over 100,000 samples during that time and many of these projects are ongoing. The data generated on our existing system is compatible with that generated on the SeqStudio. A system from another manufacturer would utilize different chemistries and result in data that was not easily comparable. Therefore, a substantial loss of data continuity would result from switching to another system.

The SeqStudio Flex uses the same consumables as the AB 3500 Genetic Analyzer, which the Molecular Ecology Laboratory currently utilizes. Therefore, any unused consumables can be used on the new instrument, preventing any loss/waste of already purchased supplies.

7. Other Information. N/A

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Program Office’s Market Research:

Other vendors that supply capillary electrophoresis instruments for Sanger sequencing and Fragment analysis were surveyed. however this is only a 4-capillary system which would greatly reduce the number of samples that can be run in a day and cause projects to take a lot longer to run.