Statement_of_need_for_an_UHPLC_April_2024.docx

Statement of need for an Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) The purpose of the procurement of an Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) is to replace an HPLC (Agilent 1100 HPLC system) that was close to 20 years old in National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Hollings Marine Laboratory. The UHPLC is used for compound separation in conjunction with detection by a recently installed new mass spectrometer. More repairs are needed as instruments age. UHPLC is a modern technique, which is able to operate at high pressure to accommodate the use of small-particle columns to achieve increases in resolution, sensitivity, and speed of sample analysis compared to HPLC.

Statement of UHPLC Specifications Specifications of a UHPLC system for procurement by NOAA National Ocean Service, NCCOS in Charleston, SC, should meet the following minimum requirements:

1. The detector of the UHPLC is a Sciex mass spectrometer (5500+ QTRAP). The UHPLC should be compatible with Sciex software (Analyst 1.7.3) installed in a computer using Windows 10.

2. The UHPLC should consist of several modules: degasser (or integrated into a pump module), pump able to deliver gradient elution, autosampler, column oven (or integrated into an autosampler), system controller to control the UHPLC without using a PC. If necessary, each module can be shipped out individually for repair. These individual modules (versus an all-in-one style system) provide the required flexibility to move modules between instruments and the potential for the future system expansion or modification of the workflow.

3. The system shall be newly manufactured, not used or refurbished, or not previously used for demonstration.

4. The UHPLC manufacturer should provide manuals for each module along with the UHPLC purchase; the manuals include both operations and routine maintenance of each module with information of parts and procedures to do repairs.

5. The UHPLC pH operating range covers pH 1.0 ‒ 12.5.

6. The UHPLC system has a high instrument efficiency, allowing to run any HPLC and UPLC methods. The LC system has operating pressures up to 1300 bar and flow rates up to 5 ml/min for high chromatographic performance and allows to set upper pressure limits with an automatic cut-off during sample runs for increased safety in the event of column blockage and prevention of column damage.

7. Leak sensors are installed on each module to automatically stop the UHPLC in case of leakage of mobile phase solvents occurs.

8. The UHPLC pump has extremely high accuracy and precision for flow (±1% accuracy and ≤ 0.07% RSD) and gradient and mixing performance (±0.4% accuracy and < 0.15% RSD for solvent composition). It has a low-pressure of quaternary solvent mixing but can provide gradient and mixing performance of a high-pressure mixing pump. The pump has an integrated high efficiency degasser with low internal volume and a built-in active seal-wash. The pump has a settable flow range of 0.001 to 5 ml/min in 0.001 ml/min increments, a pressure range of up to 1300 bar at 0 to 2 ml/min and up to 800 bar at 5 ml/min, a low delay volume of as low as 350 µl.

9. A degasser unit is in the system, capable of degassing four independent solvent lines to work with the quaternary pump.

10. The solvent cabinet shall be able to hold six 1-L bottles. Safe caps and Stay Safe Cap Starter Kit for solvent bottles are provided to prevent leaching of harmful solvent vapors into the lab air.

11. The vialsampler has a less than 100 µl injection range with 0.1 µl increments with a good injection precision (< 0.25% RSD for 5- 100 µl) and operating pressures up to 1300 bar. Default sample vials are 2-ml LC vials. The vialsampler is installed with needle wash function and the carryover between samples is < 0.004% at 40 ppm with needle wash.

12. The vialsampler is installed with sample thermostat for temperature control of sample vials on the LC trays.

13. The column oven can hold two 30 cm-long and 4.6 mm-ID columns and provide temperature range from 5 °C above room temperature to 80 °C with ± 0.10°C stability.

14. System controller: shall include a device with a graphical display to allow for easy control and monitoring of the pump and automatic vial sampler and for viewing diagnostics of the attached components. This device should control the system independent of a mass spectrometer software to allow for the operation of the UHPLC while the mass spectrometer is in an offline status. Data acquisition and storage is managed by the connected mass spectrometer.

15. The contractor should provide shipping of the UHPLC to the delivery location.

16. The Contractor shall provide full installation and setup, and shall demonstrate upon installation that the system meets all performance specifications by the manufacturer.

17. The system shall include a warranty and service coverage of at least 12 months (all parts, labor, and travel included) after government acceptance of installation.

18. Installation and warranty personnel must be US citizens to gain access to the facility.

IT SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: Neither the Certification and Accreditation (C&A) nor the Assessment and Authentication (A&A) requirements of Clause 48 CFR 1352.239-72 apply to this contract, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required.

Delivery Schedule: The Contractor shall provide delivery no later than 60 Days After Contract Award.

Delivery address NOAA National Ocean Service Hollings Marine Laboratory 331 Fort Johnson Road Charleston, SC 29412 Attention: Zhihong Wang

Points of Contact Zhihong Wang Ph: 843 619 7264 Email: Zhihong.wang@noaa.gov