Sequencing Equipment & Consumables, Nanopore Technology

The aim and purpose of the procurement and contract are to ensure the operation and methods developed after the previous procurement of the GridIon and PromethION 24 instruments. Several methods have been quality assured on the equipment and the number of methods will be further expanded on the instruments. The new agreement includes: 1. Current Devices and future Devices through Licens and Warranty (L & W) 2. Service and support 3. Consumables for the Devices (for example FlowCells, Instrument-specific reagents and consumables needed to sequence DNA/RNA for typing, monitoring and outbreak investigations of microorganisms or viruses, among others) 4. Back-up Device for PromethION 24 5. Option, additional Device for our busines Choice of procurment: Reasons for a negotiated procedure without prior publication in accordance with Chapter 6 Section 14 of the Public Procurement Act (LOU) are as follows: In recent years, the Public Health Agency of Sweden (PHAS) has been testing and evaluating Oxford Nanopore Technology, through EU-funded projects such as INFRAGEN and Full Force. This technology includes instruments and reagents that provide a comprehensive solution for sequencing variuos pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, bacteria and samples for rapid virus typing analysis in preparedness situations. Several methods have been developed and quality-assured by PHAS, and it is crucial that these methods continue to be utilized. Furthermore, PHAS aims to develop new methods ulilizing Oxford Nanopore Technology, Reasons for continued use and development of new methods include: A) Oxford Nanopore technology is flexible and can deliver varying amounts of data depending on the analysis method and the number of samples analyzed in a qualitative, time-efficient, and cost-effective manner. B) Sequencing equipment from Oxford Nanopore Technologies can analyze sequencing data in real-time and produce “long reads,” i.e., sequences of very long DNA strands. Long DNA reads provide a greater ability to assembly the entire genome of an agent and are necessary for, for example, plasmidome studies. C) Oxford Nanopore technology can detect modified nucleotides and sequence RNA, enabling deeper analyses of the genome. D) Sequencing can be terminated once the desired coverage is reached, leading to faster sample results. E) Libraries can be recovered from a used flow cell and loaded onto a new flow cell, optimizing the laboratory workflow. F) These efficiency improvements, speed, and accuracy align with PHAS mission and are reasons for continued use. Overall, PHAS assessment is that Oxford Nanopore technology (the combination of instruments and associated reagents) is unique and currently cannot be obtained from any other supplier on the market. The combination of instrument use with associated reagents forms a unit where the existing equipment, developed methods, and new methods being developed, for technical reasons and exclusive rights, can only be provided by one supplier. There are grounds, with reference to Chapter 6, Section 14, points 2 and 3 of the Public Procurement Act (LOU), to conduct a negotiated procedure without prior publication. A contract has been negotiated between FoHM and the supplier.