DNA Extraction Cyanobacteria

The U.S. Geological Survey California Water Science Center is procuring DNA extraction and analysis services for cyanobacteria samples through solicitation 140G0325Q0194. The contractor will perform DNA extraction from filters and conduct quantitative PCR analyses on specific genes related to cyanotoxin biosynthesis (mcyE, cpcB, anaC, and sxtA) for 100 samples collected from five monitoring stations in the San Francisco Bay Delta area. Key requirements include maintaining proper chains-of-custody for laboratory operations, archiving DNA extracts for future sequencing, and employing a laboratory leader with a Ph.D. in cyanobacterial ecology who demonstrates expertise in molecular methods applied to cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin production, along with experience working with benthic habitat samples from California. The evaluation will be based on technical capability, price, and past performance. The original quote submission deadline of July 31, 2025, has been extended to August 7, 2025, at 5:00 AM PDT through Amendment 0001.

This procurement operates under the Testing Laboratories and Services NAICS code (541380) with no set-aside designation, making it open to all qualified contractors. The contract performance period runs from August 29, 2025, through December 31, 2026, with final data deliverables required by December 31, 2026. Sample collection will occur bi-monthly between August 2025 and October 2026 from the five designated monitoring stations in the San Francisco Bay Delta region. The contractor will perform all work at their own laboratory facility, with deliverables including data files in XLS, CSV, or TXT formats, along with maintaining archived DNA extracts for potential future analysis. While the solicitation documents do not specify contract values or identify incumbent contractors, the work involves processing 100 samples over the 16-month performance period.