Production, Distribution, and Storage of NAx10 Materials

The Emergency Response Branch (ERB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Environmental Health/Division of Laboratory Sciences (CDC/NCEH/DLS) is responsible for improving the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease from exposure to synthetic and naturally occurring chemical threat agents in order to protect the public health in the event of a chemical emergency. To achieve this end goal, ERB must develop effective and valid clinical methods for measuring chemicals and their metabolites in biological fluids, assure the quality of these methods, transfer these methods to other public health organizations including members of the Laboratory Response Network for Chemical Threats (LRN-C), and apply these methods to incidents of suspected exposure.

ERB has been tasked with providing ongoing laboratory improvement support for the LRN-C. To fulfill this request, ERB has identified a need for the development of reference materials for proficiency testing, calibration, and quality control programs for the detection of biomarkers for exposure chemical threat agents.

The objectives of this requirement are to obtain spiked samples in biological matrices necessary for accomplishing ERB’s mission to maintain testing capabilities for toxic chemicals of interest in order to support the measurement of exposures to chemical threat agents. The proposed work will include a variety of tasks that will require planning, producing, and distributing reference materials in support of ERB’s chemical emergency preparedness and response goals. 

The primary purpose of this requirement is to obtain reference materials from an ISO 17034 provider to support response activities for toxic chemicals of interest. The contractor shall produce a sizeable, homogeneous lot of a material that meets the criteria listed in the attached Request for Quotes (RFQ). Most quality testing for this material shall be performed by the contractor; however a small amount, detailed below, shall be shipped to a designated laboratory for verification.  The contractor shall make this materials available for purchase by LRN-C laboratories that participate in proficiency testing for this method at the same price-per-unit attributed to each item in the pricing table. This objective supports ERB’s mission and requires a flexible and multi-faceted approach including the key tasks provided in the Task List in the attached RFQ.

These NAx10 samples shall be made available for purchase, at rates provided in section B of the attached Request for Quotes, by LRN-C laboratories that participate in proficiency testing for this method at the same price attributed to each task listed below. This objective supports ERB’s mission and requires a flexible and multi-faceted approach including the key tasks provided in the Task List in the attached Request for Quotes.