Scope of work (SOW) for services in the measurement of protein crystal face growth rates and apparatus maintenance an optical system designed and assembled to measure the face growth rates of…

Scope of work (SOW) for services in the measurement of protein crystal face growth rates and apparatus maintenance an optical system designed and assembled to measure the face growth rates of protein crystals has been implemented in the biological physics laboratory, located in bldg. 4602/RM. 1183. The system has the capacity to determine face growth rates of protein crystals by monitoring the growth of 1 to 20 different crystals during a single experiment, at a defined temperature. The system is comprised of: 1) growth cell with temperature control, 2) translational stage for the positioning of the growth cell, 3) imaging optics, 4) controlling software automating the positioning of growth cell with respect to imaging optics, 5) controlling software for obtaining and storing images of different crystals over prolonged times, 6) computational analysis of obtained images to determine protein crystal growth, in real-time as well as in batch processing, and 7) image analysis software for determining protein crystal growth rates. The protein crystal growth rate measurement system has also been tested, over a period of performance, by performing growth rate measurements on four (4) separate hyper-thermophile proteins obtained from thermococcus thioreducens. The four (4) proteins from hyper-thermophiles are considered ideal for NASA applications. A supply of proteins from hyper-thermophiles, as part of the development and performance review process, was also provided. The purpose of this SOW is to maintain the above delivered protein crystal face growth rate apparatus in operable condition, thus the contractor shall perform protein crystal face growth rate measurements on (4) separate hyper-thermophile proteins. In the performance of these growth rate measurements the following five (5) tasks are to be executed: 1) maintenance of obtained proteins (e.g., recycling, purification, etc.), 2) protein crystal solubility determination, 3) protein sample and crystal preparations (including buffers, etc.), 4) characterization of protein solutions (concentration, molecular size, etc., as needed), and 5) preparation of new batches of acceptable hyper-thermophile proteins. At a minimum, one growth rate measurement shall be completed within a given working day for mutually agreed upon solution conditions. The contractor shall be responsible for providing status reports on equipment maintenance, as well as protein preparation and crystal face growth rate measurements on a monthly basis, in a mutually agreed upon format. For the case of new protein preparations, deliveries of a prepared protein of approximately 100 to 200 MG are acceptable on a monthly or as needed basis. The contractor shall also adhere to the following milestones subscribed for the measurement of the protein crystal face growth rates. The milestones are quarterly reviews of measurement progress, which may include the suitability of obtained data for publication. Acceptable criteria included in the evaluation of progress at each quarterly review, but not limited to, are: 1) the number of growth rate measurements at mutually agreed upon solution are expected to be ten (10), 2) the number of solubility measurements as mutually agreed upon solution are expected to be five (5), and 3) review crystal face growth rate measurements are appropriately analyzed using mutually agreed upon methods. The duration of performance shall be twelve months from the authority to proceed.