Sources_Sought_Notice.docx

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION:

If any responsible source believes it can provide equipment and software that meets the requirements they may submit their capability statements via email (PDF format; 15 Page Limit, these pages exclude resumes) for consideration by NCI to Andrew May, Contracting Officer, at Andrew.May@nih.gov by the 9 am ET, July 9, 2014. No collect calls or facsimile transmissions will be accepted.

Notice Number:

SS- N02CO47038-50

Issued By:

National Cancer Institute (NCI), Office of Acquisitions (OA) http://www.nci.nih.gov

Key Dates:

Capability Statement Due Date: July 09, 2014 by 9:00 AM ET

This Small Business Sources Sought Notice (SBSS)/Request for Information is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) the availability of any source that believes it can provide equipment and software that meets the requirements; (3) whether sources 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 (4) sources' 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 the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This requirement is assigned NAICS code 334516 with a size standard of 500 employees.

A. BACKGROUND

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) plans to procure two Digital PCR Systems. The system will be housed in the CCR Genomics Core, and the other within the Genetics Branch, both are part of the Center for Cancer Research, NCI. The Contractor shall provide a platform that shall partition each ddPCR reaction mix into 20,000 nanoliter-sized droplets, stream emulsified droplets in single file past a two-color optical detection system in a serial manner, as well starting accessories like oil for setup of the instruments.

B. PURPOSE AND SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

The purpose of this acquisition is to purchase an Droplet Digital PCR System Automated Droplet Generator:

• Automatic droplet generator to partition a 20ul PCR reaction into 20,000 nano-liter sized droplets, and generation is in 2 minutes.

• Droplet generation should require generator oil for each reaction.

• Generator should be able to support automated droplet generation from up to 96 samples simultaneously, while also being compatible with processing smaller numbers of samples.

• Process of droplet generation should be automated, and include a liquid handling system to accurately pipet reagents and samples to reduce user-to-user variability and to save time.

• Instrument should be enclosed with appropriate filters to reduce contamination.

• System should be compatible with both Taqman hydrolysis and EvaGreen interchelating DNA dye chemistries.

• Each droplet is 1nl and is approximately 120um.

Droplet Reader:

• Droplet reader analyzes a full 96-well plate in less than 2.5hours.

• Droplet reader performs excitation and detection of up to two fluorescent dyes per droplet. FAM, HEX (or VIC), and EvaGreen dyes can be used.

• Droplet reader illuminates and detects fluorescence from each individual droplet. The system should illuminate and differentially detect emission using two filtered counters, one for each fluorescent channel.

• Droplet reader automatically detects fluorescence from both channels during the reading process.

• System has a linear dynamic range of 5 orders of magnitude for detection of input samples.

• System can detect one copy of target sequence from DNA samples.

• System enables distinction between four and five copies of input target nuclear acid between samples.

• Precision of +/- 10% can be achieved.

• One 96-well plate can be used to analyze up to 1.5million droplets.

• System enables distinction between four and five copies of input target nuclear acid between samples.

• Precision of +/- 10% can be achieved.

• Compatible with both TaqMan probe chemistry and interchelating DNA binding chemistry like EvaGreen.

• DNA from unread droplets can be recovered for downstream applications.

• One 96-well plate can be used to analyze approximately 1.5million droplets.

Software:

• Displays fluorescence amplitude values per droplet for FAM, HEX (or VIC) and EvaGreen dyes.

• Shows multiples data for up to two fluorophores per droplet.

• Computes concentration (copies/ul) for each sample.

• Calculates copy number for target of interest using reference target for copy number variation analysis.

• Calculates fractional abundance of mutant target in wildtype background for mutation detection.

• Software should automatically set thresholds across the entire plate or for individual wells, but users should also be able to set thresholds manually.

• Should be able to merge results from replicate wells.

• Should determine absolute copy number of target DNA, taking into account the fraction of negative droplets.

• Allows data to be exported as a .csv file (for use in Excel or other programs).

• Allows graphs and tables to be copied to clipboard for printing from software menus.

Plate Sealer:

• A single plate support block that can hold a 96- and 384-well plates, to aid in heat sealing.

• Provides consistent and uniform sealing across an entire microplate.

• Semi-automated heat sealer ready to seal in less than 5 minutes.

• Minimizes sample evaporation from the PCR workflow and is compatible with a variety of heat sealing films and foils and a wide range of PCR plates.

• Should have an intuitive touch-screen user interface.

• Allow sealing temperature and time to be modified with minimal effort.

C1000 Thermal Cycler:

• Able to accommodate different throughput needs with easily interchangeable reaction modules.

• Each PCR module has a fully adjustable heated lid that supports a wide range of vessels and sealers, including low-profile and standard-height PCR plates.

• Quick and easy protocol programming, to enable easy generation of customized standard, fast, and ultrafast protocols.

• Has an advanced file management system using a USB flash drive compatibility to allow universal protocol transfer and unlimited data storage.

• Can quickly and easily identify optimal annealing temperatures by use of the programmable temperature gradient.

C. HOW TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE

If any responsible source believes it can provide equipment and software that meets the requirements they may submit their capability statements via email (PDF format; 15 Page Limit, these pages exclude resumes) for consideration by NCI to Andrew May, Contracting Officer, at Andrew.May@nih.gov by the 9 am ET, July 9, 2014. No collect calls or facsimile transmissions will be accepted.

Respondents must include DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZONE, etc) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code.

Disclaimer and Important Notes:

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in 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 a review of the responses received, an RFQ may be published on FedBizOpps. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation(s).

Point of Contact:

Inquiries concerning this Notice may be directed to:

Andrew May Contracting Officer 301-624-8755 Andrew.May@nih.gov