The U.S. Army announced a contracting action this week to support development of new food and water assays for use on the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System (JBAIDS).
JBAIDS is utilized by all of the U.S. military services as their primary mobile biological warfare detection system. The instrument is based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology and provides rapid positive identification and diagnostic confirmation of bioterror agents in environmental and clinical sample matrices.
Idaho Technology was awarded the JBAIDS contract in 2003. Since that time, the detection panels for the program have expanded from their core use for biowarfare agent detection (such as anthrax, plague and tularemia), to more traditional threats to military forces such as influenza and other respiratory illnesses. As the system is so widely deployed, the addition of food and water pathogen assays to the JBAIDS platform would take advantage of an existing logistical footprint.
The contracting announcement details six specific food and water assays to be developed and integrated for use on JBAIDS fielded analyzers: Salmonella spp., E. coli 0157:H7, Enterotoxigenix E.coli (ETEC), Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Shigella spp.
The U.S. Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), Natick Contracting Division announced their intent to negotiate and award a sole source contract to Idaho Technologies for this effort under Solicitation Number: W911QY-12-S-0015.
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