USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, ASD, PCS, Room 2161 South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700

65 -- ROBOTICES FOR PREPARATION AND PROCESSING OF SAMPLES SOL FSIS-23-W-96 DUE 091796 POC Contact Point, Tawana Nathan, (202) 720-9891 The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) intends to award a contract to ZYMARK CORP for one 50432 Microplate Core; one 53069 Room Large Capacity Micro Assay Storage Carousel; one 50444 Stand Alone Rapid Plate inclues 54539 Zymark Reservoir & Computer; six 53336 Auxiliary Deep well racks; 10 53335 Auxiliary pipet tip racks; one 49846 Microplate Turntable; one 50451 Microplate Bar Code Reading Module; one Large Capacity Micro Assay Storage Carousel; one 53073 Temperature Controlled Large Capacity MicroAssay Storage Carousel; one 50439 Multi Reagent Dispensing Module includes: 91139 (2) Reagent Addition Modules; one 91139 Reagent Addition Modules; one 56982 System V Controller 5-slot; and one 50444 Stand alone Rapid Plate. FSIS intends to negotiate on a sole-source basic in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1). The system is required to automate the Salmonella ELISA screening procedure at the Eastern Laboratory, to fulfill the requirements of the Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Systems Final Rule. The ZYMARK automated system is consistent with existing manual microbiological methodology procedures. To be considered, the system must be a commercially available devices (robotics) that can perform the following operations: 1) cover and uncover deep well microliter plates; 2) manipulate (physically move from one location to another) deep well microliter plates; 3) manipulate (aspirate and dispense) aseptically liquid samples of approximately 1-ml volume by pipette; 4) dispense liquid reagents (approximately 2.0 ml) into a test plate; 5) dispense small volumes of liquid samples (10-500 microliter volumes) into a 96-well microliter plate; 6) physically manipulate (move from place to place) 96-well microliter plates; 7) maintain sample throughout 250-300 samples per day continuous operation. This may require processing multiple batches daily; and 8) maintain sample integrity by preventing cross-contamination and environmental contamination. Only fully developed, commercially available systems shall be considered. All interested concerns must identify their interest in writing and fully document their capability to meet the agency's requirements by forwarding a detailed response within 10 days of publication of this notice. All responses must be in writing and may be faxed to 202-690-1814. All proposals from responsible sources will be considered by the Agency. If no affirmative written responses are received within 10 days of publication of this notice to determine that a comparable source is available, or is more advantageous to the Government, negotiations will take place with Zymark Corporation. (0248)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0265 19960905\65-0002.SOL)