Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Life Technologies 3500xL WIN 10 HID CORE tower and 3500 Data Collection software version 4.0.1

This notice announces the intent by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) in support of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) to procure five 3500 xL WIN10 compliant towers with 32 inch monitors, five copies of 3500 data collection WIN10 software, and five premium installations as prescribed in FAR 13.106-1(b)(1). Specifically, the Government will procure this from Life Technologies Corporation. Life Technologies is the sole manufacturer and reseller of the 3500xL Genetic Analyzers, the associated 3500 computers and 3500 data collection software for this requirement. AFMES-DNAOps is a forensic DNA testing laboratory that is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to the ISO-17025 and FBI-QAS for DNA Forensic Laboratories. Based on accreditation adherence (Volume III of the Quality Manual and the FBI's Quality Assurance Surveillance document), all equipment and software must be developmentally validated by the manufacturer and internally validated by the laboratory to all reagents used for DNA testing as well as pass a stringent quality control before being released for casework. Furthermore, forensic accreditation standards say that manufactures who supply DNA forensic instruments, reagents must have established Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)/ Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) process as well as being International Standard Organization -18385 Forensic DNA grade accredited. Life Technologies is ISO 18385 compliant for the forensic mtDNA and STR reagents, the 3500xL capillary electrophoresis instruments (3500xL Analyzer, computers and 3500 data collection software), and the GeneMapper ID-X software v1.6 that are used to analyze forensic DNA samples. AFMES-DNAOps is the DoD's only human remains DNA testing laboratory, which under title 10 USC, chapter 75, 1471 and 10 USC, Chapter 76, 1501-1513; NDAA 2010, Section 541 (d)(2) and DODI 5154.30 is charged with providing human remains DNA testing in support of current day operations (AFMES), past accounting operations (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency; DPAA), other DoD Agencies missions, and other Bureaus of the Federal Government, and civilian medical institutions. Life Technologies is the sole manufacture of the 3500xL Genetic Analyzer and the 3500 Data collection software that AFMES-DNAOps purchased in 2010 to replace the obsolete and discontinued ABI 3130xL Genetic Analyzer. The Life Technologies 3500xL Genetic Analyzer, associated WIN7 computers and data collection software versions 1.0 to 1.3 have been validated in accordance with the Federal Bureau of Investigations - Quality Assurance Standards (FBI-QAS) and the ISO-17025 Accreditation standards by AFMES-DNAOps to work in conjunction with the Promega Fusion and Life Technologies Globalfiler and MiniFiler autosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) kits, and the Life Technologies Y-Chromosomal STR kit. Development, optimization and validation of automated and manual STR amplification methods in conjunction with analysis on the 3500xL Genetic Analyzer are used to identify missing individuals. Failure to utilize the forensically validated 3500xL computers and data collection software will lead to a 50% reduction in work product. This reduction in work product will prevent AFMES- DNAOps from supporting the Defense POWMIA Accounting Agency in meeting the NDAA 2010, which requires the past accounting community to have the capability and capacity to support 200 identifications of missing service members from World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the Cold War. This announcement fulfills the synopsis requirements under FAR 5.102 (a)(6) and 5.203(a). USAMRAA intends to publish a solicitation no sooner than 15 days after publishing this synopsis. This Special Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotes. Information received in response to this notice will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether a competitive procurement is in the best interest of the Government. If no written responses are received by the date listed below, which reflects at least fifteen (15) days after the publication of this notice, the solicitation will be issued as sole source requirement. All questions and responses concerning this notice shall be emailed to James Cheng at james.cheng1.civ@mail.mil. Interested concerns must identify their capability in writing to the above email address listed above no later than 4:00 PM ET, 9 June 2022.