SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- SERDP ER-1498b Sustainable range management of RDX and TNT by phytoremediation with engineered plants.
- Notice Date
- 6/22/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- USACE HEC, Ft. Belvoir, ATTN: CEHEC-CT, 7701 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22315-3860
- ZIP Code
- 22315-3860
- Solicitation Number
- W912HQ-ER-1498(B)-SS
- Response Due
- 6/28/2010
- Archive Date
- 8/27/2010
- Point of Contact
- Eileen Spears, 703-428-6384
- E-Mail Address
-
USACE HEC, Ft. Belvoir
(eileen.m.spears@usace.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS. No proposals are being requested or accepted with this synopsis. The purpose of this sources sought synopsis is to determine the availability of qualified Contractors. The primary North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) Code applicable to this requirement is 541712, Research Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology). The Small Business Size Standard is 500 Employees. The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) is seeking to further the understanding of sustainable range management of RDX and TNT by phytoremediation with engineered plants. Aligned with this purpose, the main objective of this project is to engineer transgenic grasses to contain and degrade RDX in the root zone of explosives-contaminated soil. The expression in plants of a novel RDX-degrading cytochrome P450 gene, XplA, an enzyme known to degrade RDX to harmless metabolites, will be investigated. Since munitions often consist of both RDX and TNT, it is necessary to engineer resistance to TNT, as this explosive is highly toxic to plant systems. The work to date has shown that transgenic grasses expressing XplA can successfully remove RDX from explosives contaminated soil, thus demonstrating proof-of-principle with regard to the potential use of these grasses for remediating RDX on ranges. It has been determined that a follow up study is needed to develop and characterize optimal transgenic plant lines for use in the field. The estimated total value for this contract is $995,554.00 for three years. Decades of military activity on live-fire training ranges has resulted in the contamination of land and groundwater by recalcitrant high explosives, in particular, TNT and RDX. TNT and its transformation products are highly toxic, but these tend to bind strongly to clay and organic matter in soil and are largely contained at the site of contamination; however, RDX is a major concern, because of its high mobility through soils and subsequent contamination of groundwater. RDX contamination of firing ranges is now proving to be a significant threat to drinking water sources. Currently, there are no cost-effective processes to contain RDX or remediate large areas of contaminated vegetated land on training ranges. These transgenic plants promise to provide a self-sustaining, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly method of range restoration that can be used over large areas of land for preventing groundwater contamination from RDX. Engineering plants to remove explosives has the potential to provide an efficacious means to clean up land contaminated through military activities. The proposed work addresses this need by improving developing and characterizing optimal transgenic plant lines for use in the field. This market survey is for information and planning purposes only, and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). It is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government. No award will be made as a result of this market survey. All information is to be submitted at no cost or obligation to the Government. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any private sector input as a result of this market survey. The Government is not obligated to notify respondents of the results of this survey. Interested Offerors shall respond to this Sources Sought Synopsis no later than 3:00 pm, 28 June 2010. Responses can be submitted via standard mail to US Army Corps of Engineers, Humphreys Engineering Center Support Activity, 7701 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22315 or e-mail to Eileen.M.Spears@usace.army.mil
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USA/COE/DACA72/W912HQ-ER-1498(B)-SS/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: USACE HEC, Ft. Belvoir ATTN: CEHEC-CT, 7701 Telegraph Road Alexandria VA
- Zip Code: 22315-3860
- Zip Code: 22315-3860
- Record
- SN02184987-W 20100624/100622235811-35bc0af45db416f25f98af0124bd05f5 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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