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The purpose of this notice is to obtain Capability Statements from small businesses directly addressing their ability to provide a product that meets all of the Salient Characteristics contained in the Purchase Description.
In general, the Government is seeking information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining whether a small business set-aside is possible for this acquisition (or if the acquisition can be further set-aside for one of the socio-economic categories of small businesses).
This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) CODE:
The NAICS code applicable to this requirement is 334516 - ANALYTICAL LABORATORY INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURING. The corresponding small business size standard is 1,000 or fewer employees.
Background Information:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation's leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency whose mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducting research into the cause, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders. The NINDS mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
Statement of Need and Purpose:
The purpose of this acquisition is to purchase a confocal spinning disk microscope from Nikon Instruments, Inc. This microscope is critical for the lab to conduct genetic screens to help identify interactors and partners in different biological pathways. This type of novel screen requires the use of a high-resolution, high-speed, movement-sensitive microscope. In addition, it requires an open-source infrastructure that will allow us to use our customized interface. Currently, there is no microscope on the NINDS premises that can perform all of the necessary functions. This type of genetic screen can only be performed on a microscope that has both high-resolution and high-speed in a wide field of view. These parameters will allow us to not only sample more efficiently but also more quickly. By using the unique open-source NIKON Elements module, we will be able to perform on-the-fly image analysis allowing us to collect pre-defined phenotypes. Ultimately, we will be able to interface all parameters of the microscope while simultaneously incorporating our customized algorithms. This screen will aid us in revealing new aspects of cellular pathways that could ultimately be used in developing therapeutic treatments.
Background Information and Objective:
Neurodegenerative disorders are broadly defined as a heterogeneous group of diseases all presenting with gradual, progressive loss of neuronal structure and function. One of the common pathophysiological features of many neurodegenerative disorders is the presence of dysfunctional mitochondria. Most notably, mitochondrial dysfunction, along with misfolded protein accumulation, are hallmarks of some of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders - Huntington's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - and many other less common neurodegenerative diseases. In each of these conditions, multiple mitochondrial functions are impaired, ranging from mitochondrial morphology and aggregation to ATP formation. While all of these conditions exhibit loss of mitochondrial function, the specific mechanisms behind the loss of function are still being elucidated. Of the many neurodegenerative disorders with links to mitochondrial dysfunction, Parkinson's Disease is the most well-studied.
In cell biology, the identification of new genetically encoded pathways is of essential for scientific advancements and drug development. Over the years, scientists have relied on genetic screens to help identify interactors and partners in different pathways. Historically, these genetic screens were performed in yeast; but in order to develop therapeutic treatments for humans, this work is best performed in human cells. Traditionally, RNAi-based screens have been used to elucidate pathways in human cells. In order to help elucidate the contribution of mitochondria to Parkinson's Disease progression, we have used functional genomic screens to identify novel regulators in the past. However, this type of approach has limitations, namely, lack of specificity leading to numerous false positive hits. Another limitation of functional genomic screens is that they rely on connecting genetic perturbations to a phenotype on a subcellular level. In order to establish this connection, an arrayed screen is often used, where hundreds of thousands of samples are perturbed on a mass scale; this creates a bottleneck of data analysis. Additionally, the reproducibility is limited. Therefore, we have developed a novel technique that uses machine learning to detect pre-determined phenotypes in a pooled screen. With this approach, we are able to bypass the limitations of an arrayed screen because the sampling number is smaller. Additionally, by using a revolutionary genetic engineering technology - CRISPR/Cas9- we have a screening method more specific than RNAi. Importantly, this pooled screen is more financially sustainable than an arrayed screen.
At the moment, our approach is limited by the equipment that we use. The microscope that we currently use is not meeting the needs of the project effectively. This type of novel screen requires the use of a high-resolution, high-speed, movement-sensitive microscope. In addition, it requires an open-source infrastructure that will allow us to use our customized interface. Currently, there is no microscope on the NINDS premises that can perform all of the necessary functions. This type of genetic screen can only be performed on a microscope that has both high-resolution and high-speed in a wide field of view. These parameters will allow us to not only sample more efficiently but also more quickly. By using the unique open-source NIKON Elements module, we will be able to perform on-the-fly image analysis allowing us to collect pre-defined phenotypes. Ultimately, we will be able to interface all parameters of the microscope while simultaneously incorporating our customized algorithms.
Neurodegenerative disorders are a devastating class of diseases with few therapeutic options and largely unresolved mechanisms of disease progression. This screen will aid us in revealing new aspects of cellular pathways that could ultimately be used in developing therapeutic treatments.
BRAND NAME Purchase Description: Nikon Eclipse Ti2-E Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope with Perfect focus
Salient characteristics: Nikon Instruments' newest inverted microscope, the Eclipse Ti2-E improves upon the market-leading performance of the Eclipse Ti with several key enhancements, including an industry-leading 25mm field of view, Perfect Focus 4 drift correction system, and several key improvements in optical and mechanical design. This particular instrument offers the largest available field of view on the market, increased motor speed and stability, as well as compatibility with various imaging modalities. System includes a CSU-W1 model spinning disk confocal scanner from Yokogawa. This system provides increased pinhole spacing and thus reduced spatial crosstalk between adjacent pinholes, a dual camera scanhead, and dual emission filters. Furthermore, this system comes with the powerful NIS-Elements software, providing a comprehensive suite of acquisition and analysis features. Importantly, this NIS-Elements software is fully compatible with custom acquisition scripting, allowing us to handle image processing and analysis using our custom-made program. Due to the features detailed above and many more, the Eclipse Ti2-E is the only microscope that could work for our unique needs.
BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION
The Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope must interface with internally-developed custom machine learing software that was developed for existing Nikon microscopes in the lab. This custom machine learning software is capable of interfacing with a confocal microscope to capture images, laser stimulation, and analysis on-the-fly. Using support vector machine-based learning, the NINDS developed algorithm uses images captured and processed by the microscope to identify pre-determined phenotypes and then subsequently feeds this information back into the microscope system to isolate cells of interest. Based on this co-dependency, the NINDS-developed algorithm must interface perfectly with the imaging software. The NINDS custom module was integrated within the Nikon software environment during the development of the algorithm. The synchronization of the algorithm with image acquisition steps was a complex process which required immense technical support. This internally-developed software provides users with all the tools to anlyze complex images. Futhermore, all of these capabilities are available to use during image acquisition, rather than needing to be applied post-acquisition, thereby creating a seamless platform. In order to create this platform with any equipment other than the Nikon Brand Name equipment would require immense effort from hardware and software engineers causing unacceptable delays and duplication of costs toward planned research efforts.
Quantity: 1 Nikon Brand Name Eclipse Ti2E with Perfect Focus System composed of the following:
Nikon P/N Qty Descripition
MEA54000 1 Ti2-E Inverted Motorized Microscope Stand
MEF55037 1 Ti2-E Controller
MXA22149 1 S-TI2-EXT External Trigger Cable
MEB55830 1 Ti2-T-BS Binocular Body Base Unit (Simple)
MEB52520 1 TC-T-ER Ergo Binocular Tube
MAK10110 2 CFI 10X EYEPIECE F.N. 22MM-NC
MEP59394 1 Ti2-ND-P Perfect Focus System 4
MEE59920 1 Ti2-D-PD Diascopic Illumination Pillar
MEE55700 1 Ti2-D-LHLED Transmitted Light LED Lamphouse
MEV50010 1 Ti2-D-SF Diacopic Illumination Slider
MBN11710 1 Daylight NCB11 Filter, 45mm
MBN11200 1 Filter 45mm, GIF Green Interference (546/60nm)
MBN21816 1 Filter 45mm, ND16A Multi-Coated Neutral Density
MBN21808 1 Filter 45mm, ND8A Multi-Coated Neutral Density
MEL51005 1 TC-C-TC Condenser Turret, Seven Position
MEL56200 1 TC-C-LWD Lens Unit for System Condenser Turret
MEV51030 1 Ti2-F-FLT-E Motorized Epi Fluorescence Turret
MXA22147 1 S-TI2-DCL Daisy Cable Long
MXA22146 1 S-TI2-DCS Daisy Cable Short
MEV50020 1 TI2-F-FSC Circle Field Stop Slider
MXA22152 1 Ti2-D-LSK Laser Safety kit
MXA22158 1 S-Ti2I-LU Interlock Cable
MEE54840 1 TI2-LA-BM-E Motorized Main Branch
MEE54730 1 TI2-LA-FLL Epi Fluorescence Module Large Field
77060085 1 SOLA SE II Light Engine, Solid State While-Light
77060021 2 Liquid Light Guide for Lumencor, 3mm diam
96369 1 C-FLL Large Field of View DAPI SOLA Filter Set
96372 1 C-FLL Large Field of View GFP/FITC/Cy2 Filter Set
96374 1 C-FLL Large Field of View DSRed/TRITC/Cy3 Filter
96376 1 C-FLL Large Field of View Cy5 Filter Set
97050 1 USB 2.0 A-B 15ft Cable
79035 1 Power Cord 120V, Lead Free
99928 1 CSU-W1 50um pinhole disk array
77014567 2 ET455/50m, DAPI-ET Emission Filter
77014803 2 ET525/36m Emission Filter, max blocking
77074493 2 ET605/52m Emission Filter 25mm
77074329 2 ET705/72m Emission Filter, Far Red Emission
77074021 2 69000M DAPI/FITC/TRITC TRPL BP FLTR 25MM
99931 1 Ti sealed microscope adapter for CSUW-1
MQD42005 1 C-DA C-Mount/Iso Adapter 1x
99933 1 DM A561LP for CSUW-1
99936 1 Full Mirror for CSUW-1
99935 1 Dummy Glass for CSUW-1
77018291 1 Photometrics Prime 95B Back-illum sCMOS camer
MEE58100 1 TI-LA-DMS DMD Module
MEE54880 1 TI2-LA-BS Sub Branch
MEV53002 1 TI-LA-LEDAD LED Adapter
MQF52055 1 AC Adapter
97337 1 C-TIRF Filter Cube 405nm Reflection
77060079 1 AURA Solid State Triggerable Illuminator
77060017 1 DB 15HD to 7Xbnc cable for TTL control
MEE58017 2 TI-LA-Exchangable Mirror (100% Reflect)
91172 1 405nm Reflect/430-800nm Transmit Mirror
79035 1 Power Cord 120V, Lead Free
77038033 1 P-736.ZRN2S PlNano Z K Plate Scanning System
77038024 1 Microscope Universal Holder for Slides and Petri
77038007 1 Well Plate Holder for Pl Nano Z 200um piezo stage
77038006 1 Slide Holder for PI Nano Z 200um stage
77057437 1 Custom Microscope Lexan Enclosure for CO2
77057500 1 H2O1 Gas chamber for Physik Instr PI P-736
77057343 1 Temperature control unit - Bold Line
77057333 1 Touch Screen Controller
77057528 1 Multi-Well Plate insert for H201 Incubation System
77057463 1 1"x3" chamber slider holder - magnetic
77057461 1 Lab-Tek II 1"x2" Chambered Cover Glass Holder
77057434 1 Optional KOEHLER Lid
77057348 1 CO2 Controller - Bold Line
77057342 1 Air pump - Bold Line
77057436 1 Vibration Free Humidifying Module
77011523 1 Prior High Speed Linear Motor Stage for Nikon Ti
77011524 1 Prior Proscan III LD controller with linear drives
77011545 1 Joystick and Interactive Control Center
MQS41100 1 NIS-Elements: Hardware Module
MRD00105 1 CFI60 Plan Apochromat Lambda 10x Obj Lens
MRD70200 1 CFI60 Plan Aprochromat VC 20x Obj Lens
MRD77200 1 CFI60 Aprochromat Lambda S LWD 20x Water Im
MRD77410 1 CFI60 Apochromat Lambda S LWD 40x Water Im
MRD00605 1 CFI60 Plan Apochromat Lambda 60x Obj Lens
MEV54006 1 TI2-N-WID Water Immersion Dispenser
77019717 1 Advanced Biosystem Workstation HP Z840
77019701 2 27" LED Backlit IPS narrow bezel monitor
77013240 1 NI PXI-1033 Controller; 5 Slot PXI Xchassis
77013241 1 NI PXI 6723 DAQ
77013235 1 BNC-2115 Shielded BNC connector block
77013226 1 NI BNC-2110 Shielded BNC and terminal conn
77013227 2 SHC68-68-EPM, 68-D-Type to 68 VHDCI Offset
MQS34000 1 NIS-Elements High Content Package for Multiwell
MQS42560 1 NIS-Elements: Module 6D Imaging
MQS41960 1 NIS-ELEMENTS HARDWARE MODULE
MQS41930 1 Device control for Sutter DG4/5, AOTF, Agilent,
MQS41220 1 NIS-Elements: Hardware Module Wavelength contr
MQS41920 1 Controls Shutter and Illumination EXFO and SOLA
MQS42780 1 Device Control for External Triggering th camera
MQS41320 1 NIS-Elements Hardware Module Motor Focus Cntrl
77019718 1 Zenith Workstaton HP Z840
MQS31500 1 NIS-Elements Adv Research Passive License
MQS43040 1 NIS-Elements High Content Upgrade Module
77049153 1 36"x48" Vibration Isolation Table
77049013 1 Set of 4 Casters for Vibration Isol Table
92084 1 Large Nycle Dust Cover 14"x26.5"x32"
MXA22168 1 30cc Non-Fluorescing Immersion Oil F
77049107 1 Subshelf for Vibration Isolation Table
MED54550 1 Ti2-FP Fixing Plate
Delivery Date: 60-90 days after the order is received
Delivery Location:
National Institutes of Health
Porter Neuroscience Research Buidling
Bldg. 35, Rm. 2C917
35 Convent Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
Contract Type: A firm-fixed price type contract is planned for this acquisition consistent with commercial practices.
Warranty: Industry standard
Capability Statement / Information Sought:
Small business Contractors that believe they possess the ability to provide the required products should submit documentation of their ability to meet the project requirements, addressing the Salient Characteristics contained in this announcement (a generic marketing brochure would likely not be sufficient to demonstrate a source's capability to meet the stated requirements) to the Contracting Officer. Contractors should also provide their Company Name, DUNS number, Physical Address, and Point of Contact Information and if applicable, Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract number.
Interested organizations are required to identify their type of business, applicable North American Industry Classification System Code, and size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration definitions and guidelines.
Additionally, please indicate the country of manufacture of the product your organization can offer to meet the stated requirements.
The government requests that no proprietary or confidential business data be submitted in a response to this notice. However, responses that indicate the information therein is proprietary will be properly safeguarded for Government use only.
Capability statements must include the name and telephone number of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives. Capability statements in response to this market survey that do not provide sufficient information for evaluation will be considered non-responsive. When submitting this information, please reference the Small Business Sources Sought notice number.
All capability statements sent in response to this Small Business Sources Sought Notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Jason Williams, Contracting Officer, at [email protected]. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered.
The response must be received on or before June 18, 2018 at 5:00 PM EST.
Note:
This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After review of the responses received, pre-solicitation and solicitation notices may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. The solicitation release date is pending. The Government intends to negotiate a fixed-price contract.