U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Contracts Management Division (MD-33), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

A -- PURCHASE AND DOCUMENTATION OF HAP RESEARCH SOL BAC348 POC William Newby, Contract Specialist, (919) 541-5296 E-MAIL: click here to contract specialist via E-mail, newby.bill@epamail.epa.gov. EPA intends to award a sole source purchase order to the University of Pittsburg, pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) -- Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. This procurement is for the purchase of environmental research into the developmental toxicity of specific hazardous air pollutants using a structure activity approach. First, the EPA will provide a list of single HAPs (i.e., hazardous air pollulants, not HAP categories) to the contractor. The contractor shall evaluate the structure of these substances using the CASE/MultiCASE programs and other appropriate SAR models (e.g., FDA/TERIS) for developmental or reproductive toxicity. The investigators shall provide EPA with a list of HAPs with potential developmental or reproductive toxicity, as well as moieties and modulators associated with such activity. Second, the investigators shall evaluate these moieties for chemical and biological plausibility, including consideration of the quality of the data used to determine the potential toxicity of each moiety. Results of different models shall be compared and contrasted, with appropriate use of expert judgment to postulate mechanisms of action The investigators shall provide EPA with a report of these evaluations, narrowing the list of HAPs with potential developmental or reproductive effects to those for which such effects are biologically plausible. Third, regarding HAPs for which developmental or reproductive effects are plausible, the investigators shall develop when possible, estimates of a benchmark dose that could potentially result in adverse developmental or reproductive effects in humans. These benchmark dose estimates may be presented in the form of ranges rather than fixed values. Fourth, the investigators shall develop and extend the University of Pittsburgh's databases of toxicological information and SAR/QSAR models relevant to developmental or reproductive toxicity as needed to support this line of workt. EPA will be provided to all data collected and predictive models developed for this project. Fifth, the investigators shall provide EPA with a report describing the results of the work, including characterizations of potential developmental and reproductive toxicity of specific HAPs. The results of the analysis may also be incorporated into manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journal. The contractor is to submit the final report and papers as stated above. The University of Pittsburg School of Public Health has a uniquely qualified multi disciplinary group, headed by Dr. Donald Mattison, who has developed and presented findings on the use of structural-activity relational systems for automatically determining the molecular features responsible for the observed biologic activity given a set of active and inactive compounds. This group is a leader in the field and has an established computational toxicology group and program. Group expertise includes the fields of site and mechanisms of reproductive toxicology, molecular genitics, cancer and developmental toxicology, computational chemistry, rational drug design and computer program design. This combination of expertise, experience, and development of a functional system for such analysis is unique. All responsible sources may respond by submitting a written narrative statement of capability within 15 days of this notice to William Newby at the above address which will be considered by the agency. Responses must include detailed technical information and other technical literature demonstrating the ability to meet the requirement. Responses shall also include itemized pricing that is sufficient to make a determination that competition is feasible. If no affirmative responses are received within 15 days of this notice to determine whether a qualified source is more advantageous to the Government an order will be placed with the University of Pittsburg. (0282)

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