SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- Functional characterization of mutations manual using patch clamp techniques
- Notice Date
- 6/13/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD, Office of Acquisitions, 6701 Rockledge Dr RKL2/6100 MSC 7902, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-7902
- ZIP Code
- 20892-7902
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NHLBI-CSB-(HG)-SBSS-2016-164-DM
- Archive Date
- 7/5/2016
- Point of Contact
- Dorothy Maxwell, Phone: 301-435-0352
- E-Mail Address
-
maxwelld@mail.nih.gov
(maxwelld@mail.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice." A. Background: The National Institute of Health (NIH) is the nation's leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives. The National Institutes of Health Undiagnosed Disease Program (UDP) is a trans-National Institute of Health (NIH) initiative organized by the NHGRI, the NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR) and the NIH Clinical center that focuses on the most puzzling medical cases referred to the NIH Clinical Center with a mission that has expanded to encompass a broad range of studies aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and diseases. The goals of the UDP include finding accurate diagnoses and discovering new diseases that provide insight into human physiology and genetics. The UDP was established to evaluate participants who have undiagnosed medical conditions. UDP participants have generally received extensive diagnostic workups before traveling to the NIH and often have numerous and/or complex medical problems. In order to determine the function of genes that are mutated in UDP patients and how these interact with ion channels or receptors that lead to seizures in these individuals, the Contractor will perform patch clamp analysis using extracts from NIH provided mutation constructs. This work will provide a screening mechanism and continue to support the UDP by providing functional analysis of suspected gene mutations to determine how they generate seizure activity in UDP patients. B. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this acquisition is to provide functional characterization of four mutated genes seen in NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program patients. Specifically, this acquisition supports the research needs of the UDP by providing functional analysis of ion channels or receptors that will further elucidate the mechanism that causes UDP patient disease phenotypes. In order to determine the function of genes that are mutated in UDP patients and how these interact with ion channels or receptors that lead to seizures in these individuals, the Contractor will perform patch clamp analysis using extracts from NIH provided mutation constructs. This work will provide a screening mechanism and continue to support the UDP by providing functional analysis of suspected gene mutations to determine how they generate seizure activity in UDP patients. The NIH UDP program admits patients with rare and undiagnosed diseases. Through next-generation sequencing, genes that may be related to the disease phenotype are identified, including those that may be involved in epilepsy or seizures. In a subset of patients, however, the genes that are identified have unknown function. It is the purpose of this study is to use a more cost-effective screening method to explore the functions of these genes in relation to their ability to modulate ion channels or receptors, and their ultimate involvement in seizures. In order to gain this knowledge, the Contractor will provide functional characterizations of these gene mutations using patch clamp techniques and compare the results with wild-type gene function. C. Other Important Considertion: • The contractor shall compare pairs of wild-type and mutated ion channels to determine functional properties. • The contractor will provide a target vector to the NIH along with information regarding the vector/map and restriction sites in order for the NIH UDP to clone the gene into the target vector and return to the Contractor for performing the study. • The contractor shall perform appropriate ion channel studies pertaining to the specific type designated by the NIH UDP prior to evaluation. • The contractor shall perform cell culture and transient transfection of the constructs into standard expression systems. • The contractor shall select transfected cells by light microscopy and perform patch clamping in the whole cell state. • The contractor shall provide the biophysical analysis results as well as pharmacological validation information. o Determine ion selectivity/conductance at n=3 o Establish activation/inactivation curves o Determine channel types at n=3 o Determine basic response to a general and/or specific blocker at individual concentrations and at n=3 • The contractor shall report data within two months after receipt of NIH UDP cDNA construct. D. Anticipated Period of Performance: 12-Months   E. Capability Statement /Information : Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. The following information shall be included in the capability statement: 1. A general overview of the respondents' opinions about the difficulty and /or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any information regarding innovative ideas or concepts. 2. Information in sufficient details of the respondents' (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. 3. The respondents' DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) pursuant to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code: 541712, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except biotechnology), business size standards 500. 4. Any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the requirements of the potential acquisition. 5. The capability statement shall not exceed 10 single-sided pages (including all attachments, resumes, charts, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), with 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper size, and 1 inch top, bottom, left and right margins. 6. All proprietary information should be marked as such. Statements should also include an indication of current certified small business status; this indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your capability statement (preferably placed under the eligible small business concern's name and address). Responses will be reviewed only by NIH personnel and will be held in a confidential manner. F. Closing Statement The capability statement should be submitted electronically (via email) to Dorothy Maxwell, Contracting Officer, at maxwelld@mail.nih.gov, on June 20 2016, 7:30 AM, Eastern Standard Time include Sources Sought Notice Number: HHS-NIH-NHLBI-CSB-(HG)-SBSS-2016-164-DM. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. This Sources Sought Notice (SS) is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The NHLBI does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. As a result of this notice, the NHLBI may issue a Request for Quote (RFQ). THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against NHLBI shall arise as a result of a response to this notice or the NHLBI's use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement. "Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s)."
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