Notice of Intent to issue sole source contract

Added: Jun 20, 2016 1:36 pm The development of down-well incubation of sterile sediment with a DMS has emerged as an alternative method to sample subsurface microbial communities that minimizes cost and contamination issues associated with traditional methods (Barnhart and others, 2013)*. MET was awarded a competitive contract in FY15 to begin development of a second-generation DMS that would allow complete control of the collection chamber¿s environment during insertion in the well and the ability to activate the sample chamber at a desired depth. This second-generation DMS could provide an inexpensive and standard method for subsurface microbial sampling which would make this tool useful for Federal, State, private and local agencies interested in monitoring the subsurface. The first prototype of the improved DMS met all of the intended requirements and was demonstrated for the USGS at the Helena office. MET conducted a series of internal critical reviews of the design, its operation and manufacturability, as well as requesting feedback on upgrades to the unit that will be necessary to convert the DMS into a product research organizations can buy off the shelf.

MET is uniquely qualified to produce the DMS because they met the requirements of the first contract and have built the first prototype DMS. MET is the only company aware of the current design requirements and capable of producing the current DMS. The USGS has a great need for a fully developed DMS for many subsurface studies, but has an immediate application need at the USGS Birney field site where these newly developed DMSs will provide the ability to monitor the microbial conversion of coal to methane and inoculate upflow bioreactors. Due to their experience modifying the first-generation DMS to improve function within the USGS field site¿s wells, research engineers Randy Heibert and Robert Hyatt, from MET, are uniquely qualified to continue modifications to the second-generation. They have also worked with collaborators and graduate students from Montana State University on the development of the up-flow reactors at the Center for Biofilm Engineering that simulates subsurface flowing conditions. The modified second-generation DMS will be used to inoculate these up-flow reactors, so it will be critical that the sampling port on the DMS is compatible with the up-flow reactor design and the DMS has the pore volume required to inoculate the up-flow reactor.