Brand Name Justification Posting.docx

Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition at or Below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

Project Title: UVP ChemStudio PLUS Imaging System

I. Identification of the agency and contracting activity DHHS, NIH, NIAID, _Laboratory of Bacteriology, Coxiella Pathogenesis Section

II. Description of the project, and supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value) A. Type of action. Check the appropriate box:

☒ New requirement B. Project Background The Coxiella Pathogenesis Section at The Rocky Mountain Laboratories conducts research on Coxiella burnetii, the cause of human Q fever. Goals of the laboratory include the functional characterization of mechanisms employed by the bacterium that permit replication within permissive host cells. To achieve these goals, Coxiella Pathogenesis Section researchers perform experiments on a daily basis that involve gel electrophoresis, immunoblotting, or live and fixed samples that are analyzed using bright-field, chemiluminescence, or fluorescent imaging approaches. Accurate documentation of the resulting experimental data is typically achieved using a bioimaging system that is a robust imaging platform allowing for fast, reproducible image acquisition of a variety of sample types. Post-acquisition analysis of images acquired can be used to make qualitative and quantitative assessments of data ranging from bacterial genome content to host pathogen interactions and provide critical knowledge of virulence mechanisms employed by pathogenic microbes.

III. Identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition (SELECT ONE) ☒ 41 USC 253(c)(1) and FAR Part 6.302-1: Only one responsible source

The UVP ChemStudio is the only Bioimaging System with a sufficient field of view (13cm x 19cm) required for imaging the large format gel and blots utilized routinely in the Heinzen lab that can also be controlled by an external PC meeting NIH IT security requirements thereby enabling storage and back-up of all data on RML secure servers. The ChemStudio also includes VisionWorks software package which includes extensive image enhancement and analysis tools, including tools for publication-ready annotation purposes, noise reduction, background subtraction, inversion, pseudo-color, compositing, and band identification. The UVP ChemStudio comes equipped with an high-performance, scientific grade 615 Camera, a 3.2 megapixel cooled CCD that meets Heinzen lab sensitivity requirements with quantum efficiency rating of ~80-90% in the visible wavelengths coupled with excitation laser modules and filter sets allowing for detection by Chemiluminescence, Fluorescence, Visible Fluorescence, RGB, and near infrared. Performance requirements of the Heinzen lab for additional ChemStudio hardware includes: 25mm f/0.95 Motorized Lens; Thin Line UV Transilluminator (302nm); UV On red indicator light, to alert users of the presence of UV radiation; 5 position automated, emission filter wheel; White/Red/Green/Blue LED modules; EtBr, SYPRO®-Ruby, and SYBR®-Green emission filters; 660nm & 787nm laser modules; 707-752nm and 810LP emission filters.