The U.S. government is seeking industry input to develop a portable, field-forward metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) system for rapid, hypothesis-free identification of infectious disease agents. The system must be an integrated, automated "sample-to-answer" platform suitable for deployment at Role 3 field hospitals or forward-laboratory settings, with a preference for backpack-sized, battery-operable units. The ideal system should deliver actionable results in under 6 hours, operate offline with secure databases, and include clinical decision support for non-specialist users. Respondents must submit a white paper (max 5 pages) and a one-page Quad Chart detailing technical approach, product maturity, regulatory strategy, and a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost to completion. No specific budget amount or submission deadline is provided in this Request for Information.

The U.S. government is seeking information on mature, portable, integrated metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) systems for rapid, hypothesis-free pathogen identification in field-forward clinical settings. The goal is to develop a "sample-to-answer" system that is automated, ruggedized, and ideally backpack-sized, with a desired time-to-answer of under six hours. Respondents are asked to submit a white paper and quad chart, with the government placing greatest emphasis on technical maturity and bioinformatics capabilities. No specific budget, submission deadline, or performance location is mentioned in this Request for Information (RFI). This is a market research effort only and does not constitute a solicitation for proposals.