The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) intends to issue a sole source blanket purchase agreement (BPA) award to Life Technologies Corporation located in Foster City, CA for DNA testing supplies, biological reagents, and related supplies to operate USDA-owned, Applied Biosystems brand name Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) equipment used for commodity testing by USDA GIPSA Technical Services Division Laboratory in Kansas City, MO and Invitrogen brand PCR equipment used at the USDA APHIS National Plant Germplasm Biotechnology Laboratory (NPGBL) in Beltsville, MD for validated testing protocols. This procurement will be conducted under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 and 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1).

The GIPSA TSD Laboratory validates real-time PCR methods and verifies accuracy, precision, and reliability using publicly available methods currently used to identify transgenic events in biotechnology-derived grains and oilseeds. Also, GIPSA provides scientific expertise, engages U.S. stakeholders, and influences outcomes on issues related to testing of biotechnology-traits in grains. GIPSA facilitates grain marketing by verifying the accuracy, precision and reliability for testing of biotechnology-derived traits that are (or could be) inadvertently released into the marketplace. In the event of such a release, GIPSA must act quickly to ensure accurate testing is available in the marketplace. The validated GIPSA PCR testing uses Applied Biosystems brand primer/probe sets and master mix enzyme reagents that are solely available from Applied Biosystems. The list of Applied Biosystems items follows below:

Cat# -- Description
4304437 -- TaqMan® Universal PCR Master Mix, 1-Pack (1 x 5 mL)
4305719 -- TaqMan® Universal PCR Master Mix, 10-Pack (10 x 5 mL)
4364338 -- TaqMan® Universal PCR Master Mix, 2-Pack (2 x 5 mL)
4364340 -- TaqMan® Universal PCR Master Mix, 5 pack (5 x 5 mL)
4352042 -- TaqMan® Fast Universal PCR Master Mix (2x), No AmpErase® UNG
N8080260 -- GeneAmp® dNTP Blend, 10mM
4349180 -- 7500 Real Time PCR Systems Spectral Calibration Kit I
4351653 -- 7900HT System Fast 96-Well Spectral Calibration Kit
4328639 - Sequence Detection Systems 96-Well Spectral Calibration Kit
N8010560 -- MicroAmp® Optical 96-Well Reaction Plate
4311971 -- MicroAmp® Optical Adhesive Film
4316033 -- TaqMan® MGB Probe 20,000 pmol
450024 -- TaqMan® TAMRA^TM Probe 20,000 pmol
450025 -- TaqMan® TAMRA^TM Probe 6,000 pmol
4304971 -- Sequence Detection Primer: 80,000 picomoles

The Invitrogen brand reagents used at the NPGBL are used in specific, validated testing protocols for APHIS National Surveys and in the National Plant Germplasm Quarantine Unit. The validated testing protocols cannot be modified with any changes or substitutions of a critical reagent. To do so would result in negative consequences, such as weeks of expensive testing to establish alternative protocols. Any protocol modifications would also result in a halt to ongoing processing of National Survey samples. No other brand reagents are available to meet the NPGBL testing requirement. The list of Invitrogen items follows below:

Cat# -- Item
10966-034 -- Platinum Taq DNA polymerase
11732-020 -- SuperScript® III Platinum®One-Step qRT-PCR Kit
12574-018 -- SuperScript® III One-Step RT-PCR System with Platinum®Taq
12574-026 -- SuperScript® III One-Step RT-PCR System with Platinum®Taq
10777-019 -- RNaseOUT^TM Recombinant Ribonuclease Inhibitor
18427-013 -- 10 mM dNTP Mix
k4510-20 -- TOPO® TA Cloning® Kit (with pCR®2.1-TOPO® Vector) with One Shot® Mach1^TM T1 Phage-Resistant Chemically Competent E. coli
K3100-01 -- PureLink® PCR Purification Kit
750024 -- UltraPure^TM DEPC-Treated Water
28025-013 -- M-MLV Reverse Transcriptase
16500500 -- UltraPure^TM Agarose - Life Technologies
Q601-20 -- imMedia^TM Amp Agar - Life Technologies
Q600-20 -- imMedia^TM Amp Liquid - Life Technologies

The Blanket Purchase Agreement establishes firm-fixed pricing for the specific items listed, and the total value over 5 years (05/10/2013 to 05/09/2018) is not-to-exceed $650,000.00. This notice is for informational purposes only. No formal solicitation will be issued. Any questions or inquiries must be mailed, e-mailed or faxed to the Contracting Officer, to the attention of the point of contact listed in this notice. Point of contact: Michael Chiodi, Contracting Specialist, (612) 336-3203, FAX: (612) 336-3550, E-mail: [email protected].