Notice End Date: July 9, 2026

Vendor Name: 10X Genomics Inc

Contract Amount: 56,108

Agency Procurement Manager: Brad Byrd

Agency Procurement Manager Email: byrdg@musc.edu

Agency Procurement Manager Telephone#: (843) 985-1798

The Agency hereby provides notice that it intends to enter into a sole source contract per S.C. Code Ann. §11-35-1560 with Vendor for the following supplies, services, information technology, or construction:

In accordance with §11-35-1560 (A) of the SC Consolidated Procurement Code, it is the intent of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to award without competition, a sole source contract in accordance with Regulation 19-445.2105 (B) (5) to 10X Genomics Inc for the purchase of GEM-X Universal 3' Gene Expression v4 (2), Chromium GEM-X Single Cell 3' Chip Kit v4 (2) and a Chromium Xo, accessory kit and warranty.

 Purpose and Objectives: The Department of Pharmacology and Immunology at MUSC is participating in a NIH COBRE Grant project that requires single-cell RNA sequencing to define cell-type-specific transcriptional responses in intestinal epithelial, stem cell, immune, and neuroepithelial populations under experimental conditions relevant to mucosal defense and epithelial repair.

To support this work, the department requires a robust, reproducible, and well-validated single-cell RNA sequencing platform capable of capturing thousands of individual cells per sample, assigning unique molecular barcodes to transcripts by cell of origin, and generating sequencing-ready libraries for downstream bioinformatic analysis.

Sole Source Justification: The 10x Genomics Inc Chromium single-cell platform is specifically required because it provides an integrated and validated workflow for high-throughput single-cell partitioning, barcoding, cDNA generation, and library preparation. The platform utilizes proprietary Gel Bead-in-Emulsion (GEM) technology to encapsulate individual cells with uniquely barcoded gel beads, enabling accurate assignment of transcripts to their cell of origin.

This platform provides the high-throughput single-cell capture and transcript barcoding necessary for profiling complex intestinal tissues. The resulting data are directly compatible with 10x Genomics Inc Cell Ranger analysis pipelines and established downstream single-cell RNA sequencing workflows. The system supports reproducible processing across multiple samples, which is essential for valid comparison of experimental groups within the COBRE project.

Additionally, the Chromium platform is widely used by institutional sequencing cores and project collaborators, ensuring that generated data is directly comparable with existing and future datasets. Use of an alternative platform would disrupt study design, compromise data comparability, and require substantial redevelopment of established protocols.

The reagent kits, microfluidic chips, chemistry, and associated analysis software are proprietary to 10x Genomics Inc and are not interchangeable with products from other vendors. As such, these items must be procured from the original equipment manufacturer to ensure compatibility, reproducibility, and continuity of the research.

Accordingly, 10x Genomics Inc is the only available source capable of meeting the scientific, technical, and compatibility requirements of this procurement.

QUESTIONS: Shall be addressed to the email address of the Procurement Officer indicated below.

 PROTESTS (MAY 2019): If you are aggrieved in connection with the intended award of this contract, you may be entitled to protest, but only as provided in §11-35-4210. To protest an intended award of a contract pursuant to §11-35-1560, you shall (i) notify the chief procurement officer in writing of your intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this intent to award is posted, and (ii) if the appropriate chief procurement officer has been timely notified of your intent to protest, you may submit your actual protest within fifteen days of the date this notice of intent to award is posted. Days are calculated as provided in §11-35-310(13). Both protests and notices of intent to protest must be in writing and must be received by the appropriate Chief Procurement Officer within the time provided. The grounds of the protest and the relief requested must be set forth with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. 

 Any protest or notice of intent to protest must be addressed to the Chief Procurement Officer, Materials Management Office, and submitted in writing (a) by email to: protest-mmo@mmo.sc.gov or (b) by post or delivery to: 1201 Main Street, Suite 600, Columbia, SC 29201

 This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. Any responsible sources who wish to identify their interest and capability to provide these services must notify this Contracting Specialist at byrdg@musc.edu prior to the contact deadline:  July 8th, 2026 at 12:00 AM EST. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Upon receipt of the interested parties’ notification, the Contracting Officer will determine whether to conduct a competitive procurement or proceed with sole source negotiations.

 

Agency's justification for a sole source procurement may be viewed or immediately obtained at: Agency Procurement Manager (Listed Above)

PROTESTS:
Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract, shall notify the appropriate chief Procurement officer in writing of its intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this notice is posted. Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract and has timely notified the appropriate chief procurement officer of its intent to protest, may protest to the appropriate chief procurement officer in the manner set forth below within fifteen days of the date this notice is posted; except that a matter that could have been raised as a protest of the solicitation may not be raised as a protest of the award or intended award of a contract.
A protest must be in writing, filed with the appropriate chief procurement officer, and set forth the grounds of the protest and the relief requested with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. The protest must be received by the appropriate chief procurement officer within the time provided above. Days are calculated as provided in S.C. Code Ann. § 11-35-310(13).

Any Notice Of Intent To Protest And Protest Must Be Addressed To: Materials Management Officer