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The standards of care for many diseases involve drug combinations including therapies for multiple types of cancer. Many of these therapies are the result of long and painstaking clinical trial-and-error. The identification of useful combination therapies in this way is untenable and methods to discovery useful drug combination in high-throughput, preclinical settings are urgently needed. NCATS has developed a platform for screening drugs in combination based upon a matrix block format. This format allows NCATS researchers to judge drug synergies and additivities based upon the acquisition of a multidimensional data set. A key element to this platform is the ability to plate each drug in the aforementioned matrix block at customized concentrations. Traditional pin tool dispensing cannot accomplish this and we have found that the use of acoustic dispensing technology is the only method that allows the flexibility and throughput to perform these experiments with the needed scale and speed. As each set of plates must be run within 24 hours of dispensing a second dispenser is crucial to our ability to increase our throughput. To allow for this increased throughput, NCATS needs a robotic arm with an attached gripper for microplate handling, in addition to customizable scheduling software to maintain consistent timing during complex assay protocols.
The Wako Automation Robot and Scheduling Software has the following capabilities:
• Can connect to various different devices through multiple communication protocols.
• Can handle SBS standard microtiter plates.
• Does allow custom software to control the provided scheduling software.
• Provides software events for every single action the scheduling software is performing.
• Allows for user developed software applications for integration with the scheduling software.
The request for sole source of the Wako Automation Robot and scheduling software is based upon the fact that the center already has multiple screening platforms that use this software package, and extensive development has already been done to control and monitor the software. This custom software that has been developed in house can be used to monitor and control the matrix screening system, eliminating the need to develop new software with a different scheduling system. NCATS runs thousands of assays utilizing this in house software that communicates with the Wako scheduler and have complete confidence in the ability of the software to handle the needs of the matrix screening project. In addition to the custom software, Wako has provided the source code for all existing peripheral devices, making it easy to integrate new devices when the center has need to do so without having to go back to the vendor for support or make additional purchases.
This acquisition is being conducted under FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, and is exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, Competition Requirements. The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) is 325188 and the Size Standard is 1000 Employees. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. The determination by the Government not to compete the proposed purchase order based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities in response to this requirement. Comments to this announcement, referencing synopsis number NHLBI-CSB-(TR)-2012-263-RSF may be submitted by mail to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Office of Acquisitions, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Suite 6145, Bethesda, MD 20892-7902, Attention: Rashida Ferebee, or by email to [email protected]. Interested parties responding to this announcement need to do so by 9:00am Eastern Standard Time on August 27, 2012.