SAM_-_Pre-Solicitation__75N94024Q00053_1.pdf

75N94024Q00053

INTRODUCTION

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A

CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION.

The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD), in support of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) intends to award a purchase order without providing for full and open competition to VWR International for Flow Cells for NIAAA DNA Methylation and Accessibility In a Psychiatric Relevant Gene Project.

BACKGROUND

The mission of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is to support and conduct research on the impact of alcohol use on human health and well-being. NIAAA supports a wide range of medical research through grants to universities and other medical research institutions across the country. The Institute also supports government scientists who conduct basic, translational, and clinical research across a broad spectrum of research topics using state of the art methodologies. Tandem repeat polymorphisms are a unique class of genetic variation that have been implicated in behavioral variation. When these polymorphisms are located in gene promotors they can modify gene expression. Gene expression and RNA translation are controlled in part by covalent modification of individual bases within the DNA and the accessibility to the transcription machinery. These modifications (for example methylation) are dynamic and are affected by exposure to exogenous agents such as alcohol. The Laboratory of Neurogenetics (LNG) is interested in studying the influence of alcohol and other drugs of abuse on DNA and RNA modification and gene expression to investigate how these drugs exert their effects at the nuclear level.

JUSTIFICATION

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is the lead agency for U.S.

research on the causes, consequences, prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related problems. The LNG: Human Neurogenetics identifies functional loci that modulate pathways to vulnerability to alcoholism, other addictions, and related psychiatric disorders. To accomplish this, it generates clinical datasets and collaborates with multiple laboratories. Its activities encompass human research protocols, large scale SNP detection using massively parallel sequencing, array and capillary electrophoresis based genotyping, in vitro and in vivo functional analyses of receptor variants, linkage studies of markers and candidate alleles, genome linkage scans, genome-wide associations, genome-wide epigenetic analyses, transcriptome analyses, and genome informatics. Tandem repeat polymorphisms are a unique class of genetic variation that have been implicated in behavioral variation. When these polymorphisms are located in gene promotors they can modify gene expression. Gene expression and RNA translation are controlled in part by covalent modification of individual bases within the DNA and the accessibility to the transcription machinery. These modifications (for example methylation) are dynamic and are affected by exposure to exogenous agents such as alcohol. The NIAAA Laboratory of Neurogenetics (LNG) is interested in studying the influence of alcohol and other drugs of abuse on

PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS

DNA and RNA modification and gene expression to investigate how these drugs exert their effects at the nuclear level. LNG is interested in studying the influence of alcohol and other drugs of abuse may influence gene expression. The Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing system allows for the determination of DNA methylation and DNA accessibility of a targeted gene in a single run. LNG currently has several MinION systems that are used to efficiently sequence DNA/RNA in an amplification free system. Flow cells are needed for these sequencing systems. The Oxford Nanopore brand flow cells are needed because the technology is proprietary, and these are the only flow-cells that are compatible with the current Promethion whole-genome sequencer equipment on which they are to be used. To our knowledge, VWR is the authorized US distributor of the needed flow cell products directly from the manufacturer, Oxford Nanopore. The MinION equipment currently in the LNG is capable of simultaneously determining DNA methylation and accessibility in a single run without chemical premodification and amplification of the template.

Template preparation products (Cas9 Sequencing kit) and Oxford Nanopore flow cells are specifically designed for running samples on the MinION system. No other reagents/flow cells are compatible with the Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing system.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 334516 with a Size standards in number of employees: 1,000.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Circular (FAC) 2024-02 effective 01/22/2024. This acquisition is conducted under the procedures as prescribed in FAR subpart 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures at an amount not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000), FAR Subpart 12- Acquisition of Commercial Items, and FAR Subpart 17.2 – Options.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR 13.106(b)(1) Soliciting from a single source - For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold.

PLACE OF DELIVERY

NIH/NIAAA

5625 Fishers Lane/3S-32 Rockville, MD, 20852

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

Three (3) packs of eight (8) Oxford Nanopore Flow Cell kits (R9.4.1) with an optional quantity line item of up to three (3) additional packs for use with Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing system.

Shipping costs for temperature sensitive delivery to laboratory.

CLOSING STATEMENT

This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability in response to this notice and may submit a capability statement, which shall be considered by the agency. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement.

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

All respondents must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses to this notice shall be submitted electronically by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, on February 16th, 2024, to jacob.balenson@nih.gov and shall include pre-solicitation # 75N94024Q00053 in the subject line.

http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:jacob.balenson@nih.gov