Questions and Answers Rev 1.pdf

This message is issued to provide responses to vendor questions on the Sourcing Event RFP WS1485675690 Automated Plant Transformation Project.

Question 1: If we were to bring an integrator partner onboard to help us execute the project, would that be acceptable for you all, or should they also sign the NDA before we bring the on the project?

Answer 1: Any potential partner must sign an NDA prior to receiving the RFP technical documents.

Question 2: What is the expected cycle time / numbers of routines to execute per day?

Answer 2: The capability for 100-200 routines per day would suffice. Offeror is flexible to propose a higher maximum capacity.

Question 3: How are the routine cycle determined? Is this coming from a database or parameters inputted by an operator? How is the decision made by the system?

Answer 3: A user interface for programmable workflows will be needed from the Offeror where operator can input/program workflow and cycle number for the given day.

Question 4: What type of operator interaction are expected for the system?

Answer 4: The Company operator will determine the applicable experimental routine for the day, which will vary in selection of type of station (within in the automated lab), action, duration, cycle numbers and will need to be user programmable as a workflow.

Question 5: For MS-6, is the integration software installation and testing over the 4-month period done by UT-Battelle or the Offeror? What type of support is required from the Offeror over that 4 month period?

Answer 5: Offeror is responsible for testing and ensuring safe and functional software-hardware integration at the Company location. Offeror is responsible for development and testing of communication interface with Module X with respect to plate placement and movement. Offeror is responsible for Training of Company operator for independent, effective operation of the system.

Questions 6: Please provide more details about the physical specifications of Module X to help offerors understand how to physically integrate the systems. Please provide a drawing that shows the outer dimensions of Module X, and includes the locations of each of the Stations specified in Figure 1 with relative distances from the edges of the system.

Answer 6: Please refer to Figure 1 in the specification document for a general layout of Module X and the six SBS stations within it. The system may be contained in a fume hood, vent hood, cleanroom or laminar flow environment. The containers will be 3-4 feet from the floor of the room and kept within an 8ft x 2ft area. The SBS tray stations are flexible to be stationed at a distance from 0” to 6” apart and could be re-oriented 90°.

Question 7: Do the incubators need to be temperature or humidity controlled?

Answer 7: No, it is not necessary that the growth station have controlled temperature and humidity.

The unit(s) can be at ambient environment/room temperature. However, here are some examples of growth chambers/incubators with or without temperature and humidity control:

Dark incubator: Cytomat™ 10 C450 Series Automated Incubators (https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/51031166);

Cytomat™ 10 Hotel Ambient Storage (https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/50143210).

Light chamber:

JIUPO 2000L Tissue Culture Chamber https://jiupobiotech.com/product/2000l-plant-growth-chamber-bpc2000h/

Question 8: We are not aware of a commercially available incubator that is both automation-friendly (e.g. has an API and is capable of automatically retrieving plates), and capable of holding 200 plates. Does ORNL expect for this to be a custom incubator that the offer fabricates, or is one commercially available? If so, can ORNL provide the name of a commercially available photosynthetic incubator that meets your specifications?

Answer 8: The design, make and capacity of the incubator is flexible and not defined. The Offeror may fabricate/acquire a third-party incubator (s) or integrate company's directly purchased incubator (s). Multiple chambers can be used to achieve a total holding capacity of 200 plates.

Some commercial incubators are automation-friendly and capable of holding 100-200 plates. See the following examples:

Cytomat™ 10 C450 Series Automated Incubators (https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/51031166);

Cytomat™ 10 Hotel Ambient Storage (https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/50143210).

Question 9: Please provide pictures of the following labware:

"Combined Unit"

"SBS-sized mesh plate"

"plant containers"

"SBS/media container Answer 9: These labware are part of the internal R&D effort, which is currently in progress and therefore, not ready or available to post pictures.

https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/51031166 https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/50143210 https://jiupobiotech.com/product/2000l-plant-growth-chamber-bpc2000h/

Question 10: We understand that one of the containers has a maximum height of 3" +/- 1". Does this apply to all labware, or just some of the labware?

Answer 10: Some of the labware.

Question 11: Do the incubators need to support 3"+/1" height as well?

Answer 11: Yes

Question 12: Can ORNL also provide expected masses for each of the labware?

Answer 12: Approximately 0.5lb max

Question 13: What is the total desired capacity of your dark incubators, and light incubators?

Answer 13: 100 – 500 SBS plates

Question 14: Are there any radioactive, toxic, hazardous, or corrosive substances in the area where the robot will be used?

Answer 14: No.

Question 15: Who is responsible for the custom TCP/IP protocol for system communication?

Answer 15: The Offeror is responsible.

Question 16: Are the four incubators included in the maximum footprint of 16ft x 20ft x 6.8ft?

Answer 16: This is preferred but can be flexible pending Company’s review.

Question 17: How many wells are needed in the SBS plates and Mesh Plates?

Answer 17: 6-9

Question 18: What is the minimum and maximum dimensions for a “Combined Unit”?

Answer 18: SBS plate dimension with variable height of 3.0 ± 1.0 inches

127.76 mm (Length) x 85.48 mm (Breadth) x 76.2 mm ± 25.4 mm (Height)

Question 19: What are the various lighting conditions needed for the RGB and hyperspectral imaging?

Answer 19: This is not specified. However, white light, and LED lights would be needed, for example, Heliospectra Dyna-RX30 lights (Heliospectra LED lights, Göteborg, Sweden), 9 wavelength spectrum (380 nm, 400 nm, 420 nm, 450 nm, 520 nm, 630 nm, 660 nm, 735 nm, and 5700 K), see more example information at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-023-00997-0

Question 20: Are there defined image parameters for each test?

Answer 20: At least resolution of 1024 (H) x 1024 (V) pixels. For example, Cooled, ultra-sensitive CCD camera, Pixis 1024B (Princeton Instruments, Trenton, NJ), backlit with anti-reflective coating filters are need to attached to the camera for fluorescent applications. See more example information at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-023-00997-0

Question 21: It is requested that each incubator has the capacity of storing at least 200 Combined

Units, these Combined Units will need to be stacked on shelves. Is lighting required in between the shelves to ensure lighting is consistent across the samples?

Answer 21: Yes, lighting is required in between the shelves to ensure lighting is consistent.

Additionally, please note that the design, make and capacity of the incubator is flexible and not defined. The Offeror may fabricate/acquire a third-party incubator (s) or integrate company's directly purchased incubator (s). Multiple chambers can be used to achieve a total holding capacity of 200 plates. Some commercial incubators are automation-friendly and capable of holding 100-

200 plates. It is also not necessary that the growth station have controlled temperature and humidity. The unit(s) can be at ambient environment/room temperature.

See the following examples:

Cytomat™ 10 C450 Series Automated Incubators

(https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/51031166)

Cytomat™ 10 Hotel Ambient Storage

(https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/50143210)

Question 22: Will independent samples need to be tracked and associated with the container ID?

Answer 22: Yes

Question 23: Is there a timing plan or “cycle time” required for each automated task?

Answer 23: The cycle processes is controlled by communication between the Offeror’s provided lab integration solution and Company’s module X and other potential commercially acquired https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-023-00997-0 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-023-00997-0 stations/systems in the automated lab . The type of user workflow selected will also affect run time.

There is not a set "cycle time" per se.

Question 24: The factory test and certification of the system is requested to be completed in 16 and the equipment delivery withing 18 weeks of PO receipt. However, the final certification / buyoff of system is required to be completed within 12 months form the PO receipt. Are there actual dates required to meet that is driving this timeline?

Answer 24: Company’s planning window for factory test is mid-august 2025 (16 weeks); Materials delivery is early September 2025 (18 weeks) and Commissioning concurrence is (mid-April 2026 (12 months from PO receipt)