CEFAS22-26 RFQ for DNA extraction, metabarcoding, and bioinformatics of marine environmental samples for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABFT)

Cefas has contracted the supplier to provide services for DNA to be extracted from 116 frozen Sterivex cartridges (Millipore; SVGP01050). The cartridges consist of 29 samples in triplicate, and 29 field blanks. Following extraction, Cefas require half the extracted DNA to be sent back to the Cefas laboratory in Lowestoft so we can undertake qPCR (e.g., each of the extracted samples will be halved, one half will be used for metabarcoding, while the other half will be used for qPCR).

Cefas require the extracted DNA to undergo metabarcoding using the MiFish 12s marker (Miya et al., 2015) (and MiFish T markers if dual amplicon approach can be achieved). The supplier will also conduct taxonomic assignment on the metabarcoding data using amplicon sequence variants (preferred) or operational taxonomic units and Blast on a Genbank generated database (or similar). Metabarcoding results should be presented to Cefas so that the number of sequences per taxa is available for every sample in a table format.

The supplier will also provide the raw data for the sequencing run and methodology involved. Cefas will report results in a scientific manuscript, in consequence details on the methodology provided by the supplier will need to be sufficient to pass peer review (proprietary techniques will be protected).

The supplier will provide weekly updates via email detailing progress on deliverables.

The supplier will provide all deliverables within 10 weeks of Contract start date.