J&A 6-302-1. DNeasy 96 Tissue Kits

Contract No 70181AM073 TAS: 14 19027086 United States Department of the InteriorJustification of other than Full and Open competition Under $25,000 1) The Conservation Genetics Laboratory needs to order four Qiagen DNeasy 96 Blood & Tissue Kit (12) for DNA extraction. 2) Statutory Authority permitting other than full and open competition. Identify the statutory authority permitting with the FAR citation and FAR citation Title. FAR 6.302-1: Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. This means that the supplies or services can only be obtained from one firm usually due to their unique technical expertise. Basically, there is no other source that can provide this supply or service. 3) WHY are the proposed contractor's unique qualifications for the nature of the acquisition requiring the use of the authority cited in item (2). DNA extraction is the first and most important stage of producing the highest quality genetic information to meet the Conservation Genetics Laboratory's (CGL) mission and obligations. Currently the CGL uses the DNeasy 96 Tissue Kits for DNA extraction. These kits are provided by Qiagen, Inc. and allow for DNA extraction to be accomplished in a standardized 96 well format. Being able to extract DNA in the 96 well format is imperative to maintain the required work flow of the CGL. Qiagen, Inc, has proprietary rights to the DNeasy kits and the associated consumables. The DNeasy kits have been in use at the CGL for more than 7 years due to the success of these products in all laboratory protocols. Currently all laboratory protocols, chemicals, and laboratory instrumentation are designed to work with this method of DNA extraction. A change in vendor would require weeks of down-time to allow for re-optimization of all laboratory protocols. The amount of down-time required to re-optimize the CGL's PCR conditions alone would cost close to $100,000.00, based on previous experience when the laboratory had to change chemistries. In addition to PCR re-optimization, the laboratory's liquid handling automation would also need to be re-optimized resulting in loss of time and potentially the need to pay for additional service and programming support from the automation vendors. Because of variations in equipment needed and in DNA quality and quantity produced from vendor to vendor we are requesting this sole source for DNA extraction kits supplied by Qiagen. 4) WHAT effort was made to ensure that offers were solicited from as many potential sources as is practical. The CGL has previously used other DNA extraction methods and found that the quality and quantity were insufficient for current protocols, that the method was not efficient, or the resulting DNA was not archiveable. Many extraction kits are designed for use with plant tissues, blood samples, or mouse tails. The CGL primarily extracts DNA from fish fin tissue that is highly cartilaginous. This tissue can be very hard and difficult to breakdown in the initial steps of extraction. Prior to the use of Qiagen DNeasy kits the CGL used PureGene DNA extraction kits provided by Gentra. These kits do not use a 96 well format for extraction. This method is no longer efficient based on the amount of samples the CGL is processing. Based on the throughput required for any kit not using a 96 well format will be in-efficient and could lead to increased human errors. The CGL has also used Chelex from Sigma as a DNA extraction method. This method does not produce DNA of sufficient quantity or quality to meet CGL standards. The resulting DNA from this method is no longer useable after 6 months and therefore is not archiveable. Many kits on the market today use beads to mechanically lyse the tissue to be extracted. This method was tested in the CGL using a Qiagen TissueLyser and the provided beads. This method failed to lyse the test tissue at all. Any method using similar technology is not likely to work. 5) A Description of the Market survey conducted and the results. The CGL is routinely visited and contacted by industry representatives. To date no other method discussed has appeared to be an equivalent replacement for the DNeasy kits.