The USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Delaware State University, Microbial Food Safety Unit, intends to negotiate solely with Fisher Scientific in Suwanee, GA, to furnish, deliver (FOB) Destination) and install one (1) Cepheid Smart Cycler II Desktop System (Fisher Part No. SC2000N11). This instrument will be used to develop novel virus testing methods for shellfish. The equipment consists of one each of Cepheid Smart Cycler II Desktop Part No. SC2500N1-1, to be furnished and delivered (F.O.B. Destination within Consignee=s Premises) to the USDA, ARS, Delaware State University located in Dover, Delaware. The Cepheid Smart Cycler II Desktop unique features: 1) real-time thermocycler must have 16 individually programmable sample processing sites using either 25 ul and/or 100 ul optically integrated reaction tubes; 2) real-time thermocycler must utilize unbreakable polypropylene sample reaction tubes, with a high surface to volume ratio; not glass capillary-based (amenable to easy breakage, especially in field use); 3) real-time thermocycler must be expandable to 96 sample reaction sites, and yet maintain the ability to independently program each sample reaction site; 4) Each of the individual reaction sites must have its own independent thermal cycling and optical control system, with the ability to accurately record all thermal and spectral (fluorescent)measurements for each sample reaction site; 5) thermocycler must have the capability to detect four spectral bands using high-intensity LED emitters and silicon detectors for 4 color real-time, simultaneous, optical excitation and detection; allowing the capability to monitor in true real time up to 4 different targets in one sample; 6) instrument must be factory calibrated to optimally detect the following 4 fluorescent dyes simultaneously; FAM Cy3, Texas Red, Cy5, FAM, TET, Texas Red, Cy5,; or FAM, Alexa532, Texas Red, ALexa647 for Taqman, Beacon, Scorpion, and Amplifluor fluorescent probes. Additionally, the instrument must be capable of melt-curve analysis when intercalating dye chemistries are being employed; 7) the thermocycler software must be capable of performing and illustrating 2nd derivative threshold cycle analysis, for efficient and accurate quantitative analysis; 8) thermocycler software must be capable of automatically advancing to next stage after Ct crossing; 9) thermocycler must be capable of rapid, real time PCR experimental analysis; sample amplification and analysis; sample amplification and analysis must be able to be performed in as few as 20 to 30 minutes; 10) the thermocycler must have the capability to be easily transported with a ruggedized hardened carrying case. This versatility is required to handle the variety, workflow and performance needed to design and carry out protocols that will best meet experimental requirements. Companies with the demonstrated capability of providing this equipment must submit a descriptive statement, including descriptive literature, specifically addressing the equipment=s component=s and availability. The statement and literature must be submitted to the Contracting Office Address within 5 days of publication of this notice. This is not a request for proposal. NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE.

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