Procurement of New Benchtop Genome Sequencer and all consumables and servicing for ten years

AFBI is committed to modernising its veterinary microbiology capabilities in order to improve services to our sponsoring Government Department, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Expanding on use of microbial genomics has enhanced disease surveillance, epidemiological investigations and pathogen phenotypic characterisation including antimicrobial resistance profiling. Demand for microbial genome sequencing within AFBI VSD has expanded by six-fold over the last 5-year period – a demand that our existing instruments cannot sustain for important in-house sequencing with defined timelines. AFBI therefore require, an instrument with increased sample capacity and data output to ensure demand can be met and continue to deliver high quality data and analyses. Approximately 5650 microbial genomes are expected to be processed per annum with an average size of approximately 5 megabase pairs (Mbps). Additionally, AFBI require consumables/reagents (e.g. Sequencing Chemistry, Oligonucleotide indexes to permit multiplexing of samples for sequencing and DNA Library Preparation Chemistry) for the work detailed above and servicing for this replacement instrument for the duration of its useful life of ten years.