Q--Virus isolation and molecular RNA analysis services for U.S. Geological Survey

Virus isolation and molecular RNA analysis services for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Upper Midwest Water Science Center THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP), REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ) OR INVITATION FOR BID (IFB). NO FORMAL SOLICITATION IS BEING REQUESTED UNDER THIS NOTICE. This Sources Sought Notice is for market research purposes to identify parties having an interest in and resources to support this requirement for an experienced laboratory to provide virus isolation and molecular RNA analysis for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Upper Midwest Water Science Center. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement, including whether establishing a single award BPA is appropriate. The Government will review the information requested in this announcement based on the responses to this sources sought notice/market research, this requirement may be set-aside for small businesses or procured through full and open competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services) and the size standard is $19.0 million. The following is a brief description of services that are required to be performed but not limited to: A. Introduction: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Upper Midwest Water Science Center has a requirement for an experienced laboratory to provide virus isolation and molecular RNA analysis. B. Background: Avian influenza virus (AIV) continues to circulate in North America, causing the largest epizootic in U.S. history, with record number of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases in wild birds, livestock, and mammals, including humans (USDA, 2025). Wild birds, particularly waterfowl, are the primary reservoirs for AIV and can shed large amounts of AIV in feces (Webster et al., 1978). Fecal shedding of the virus into waterbodies can lead to transmission to other bird and wildlife via fecal-oral route (Zhang et al., 2022). The USGS works to understand how water quality, infectious wildlife diseases (such as HPAI), and environmental exposure to bacterial and viral pathogens influence human, livestock, and wildlife health. For the past decade, the USGS has partnered with Federal and State agencies, poultry producers, and local farmers to monitor environmental water resources for AIV, including HPAI. USGS scientists have optimized a method to recover infectious avian influenza virus from surface water. USGS is collaborating with State and Federal agencies to determine the presence and transport of avian influenza virus in environmental matrices and pathways influencing agricultural and urban environments. USGS is working to develop, optimize, and validate field and laboratory methods for the detection of infectious AIV from additional environmental matrices, including manure, sediment, and groundwater. As part of this effort, the USGS requires confirmation of recovery, viability (infectivity), and viral typing via virus isolation, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and sequencing. C. Scope: Samples require egg inoculation, extraction, and PCR analysis. Once samples have been analyzed and data has been reported, the Contractor shall participate in interpretation of results and writing a manuscript for publication. D. Technical Requirements: The Contactor shall: 1. Ensure that facility meets and maintains laboratory biocontainment practices (defined by Biosafety Level), safety protocols, and appropriate permits required for all aspects associated with receiving, analyzing, storage, and disposal of 1) viral elute concentrated from environmental samples with unknown pathogen load and 2) virus isolation of pathogens such as AIV, including HPAI and LPAI. 2. Ensure that the laboratory facility is equipped with calibrated and certified equipment to safely and securely process, analyze, store, and dispose of samples. 3. Certify that all work with [potential] infectious agents will be completed following appropriate laboratory biocontainment practices including the use of certified biosafety cabinets. 4. Provide laboratory facility with required equipment to complete processing, analysis, storage, and disposal. Required equipment includes, but is not limited to biosafety cabinets, incubators, thermocyclers, pipettes, centrifuges, autoclaves, and ultralow temperature freezers. All freezers must be equipped with temperature loggers, alarm notification systems, and back-up cooling systems, ensuring that samples are maintained at a consistent, required temperature to ensure storage requirements. 5. Ensure that laboratory personnel are trained to complete processing and analysis adhering to protocols outlined below and provided by the USGS Technical Liaison. 6. Provide 33T antibiotic cocktail from the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) or alternative antibiotic cocktail as deemed appropriate for use