Minimum Essential Characteristics.docx

Minimum Essential Characteristics (MECs) The Contractor shall provide one (1) Firefly Genomics (6 Head) and all necessary components meeting the following Minimum Essential Characteristics:

1. The system shall have a small footprint due to limited space availability, with dimensions of approximately 660 mm width x 560 mm depth x 790 mm height or less.

2. The system shall weigh approximately 120 kg or less.

3. The system shall require only one mains power connection and be supplied with an appropriate lead.

4. The system shall include a 384-tip air-displacement pipetting head, working in a minimum range of 0.5 µL to 100 µL.

5. The system’s pipetting precision shall have of a coefficient of variation (CV) of 5% or less, and an accuracy of no more than +/- 5% when pipetting volumes of 1 µL.

6. The system shall be capable of automatically exchanging plastic consumable tips and tips must be available in 384, 96, 8, and 16 channel arrays to allow for the flexibility to work with a wide variety of 96-well and 384-well plates. The system must be able to automatically switch between these formats for flexibility.

7. The system shall have a 6-head liquid dispensing module with TRUE positive displacement of liquids for aspiration and non-contact dispensing.

8. The liquid dispensing head shall be capable of dispensing a range of volumes from 200 nanoliter to 4 mL, with each syringe head also capable of being used as a reservoir for the multi-dispense of smaller volumes.

9. The system’s liquid dispensing module shall be capable of handling a wide range of liquid types from 80% ethanol through 50% (w/v) glycerol, with NO requirement for liquid classification. Common biological assay components such as aqueous buffers, DMSO, cells, or glycerol protein stocks must all be dispensed using the same standard settings, as well as particulates such as SPRI beads.

10. The system’s pipetting module shall use liquid classes to compensate for different liquid types and be well suited to a range of liquid types.

11. The system’s pipetting and dispensing modules shall be compatible with 96- and 384-well labware, including deepwell blocks and 96 format tubes up to 45 mm in height.

12. The system shall have a 2-tier moving deck system equipped with a gripper module capable of moving labware between the main deck and subdeck layers, as well as moving labware on or off of functional modules (such as shaker or heater/cooler module blocks).

13. The system shall have a gripper module capable of moving adaptor plates such that microplates or labware being maintained at a specific temperature on a heater/cooler plate can be moved to the main deck while maintaining temperature.

14. The system shall have a gripper module capable of moving labware with pipette tips in place for increased workflow efficiency.

15. The system shall have a gripper module mechanism that can be trained to pick and place a wide variety of ANSI/SBS labware.

16. The system shall include a microplate shaker, a heater cooler module for incubation capabilities, and a magnet plate.

17. The system’s functional modules should be enclosed behind panels and an interlocked door system in order to maintain a clean working environment.

18. The system shall include a one (1) year warranty commencing on the date of installation and covering parts and labor.

19. The Contractor shall provide on-site installation services and an on-site startup training for a minimum of one (1) person.

All software licensing, warranty, and services associated with the equipment shall be in accordance with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) terms and conditions.

Delivery Requirements:

Items shall be shipped to:

United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) 1425 Porter Street Fort Detrick, MD 21702