U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268

B -- ANALYSIS OF MICROBIAL DIVERSITY USING 16S RNA SOL CLXN27 DUE 042298 POC Barbara Curtiss 513-487-2036 or fax 513-487-2107 E-MAIL: U.S. EPA, Cincinnati Contracts Management Division, curtiss.barbara@epamail.epa.gov. The USEPA intends to negotiate ona Sole Source basis, under the authority of FAR 6.301, with EXXON Research & Engineering, in Annandale, N.J. The contractor shall provide services consisting of Bioanalytical determin- ation and analysis of 16S RNA data, derived from the Microbial Biomass in environmental samples provided by the EPA to distinguish the Microbial Diversity in the Ecosystem Samples. The Microbial Diversity will be derived from the Requisite Phylogenetic Analysis of the 16S RNA. Two different Environmental settings have been selected for this work. An initial Stage of Scouting Selected Sediment deposits will lead to a total of 18 Samples which will be subjected to 16S RNA Analysis. An additional 62 Samples requiring 16S RNA Analysis will be selected from the two Settings. The Analytical Protocols required for this research have been established by EXXON Research & Engineering for use with the equipment at the EXXON Facility. Specialized equipment is needed to do these analyses. Thecontractor shall be responsible for all supplies required for the 16S RNA analysis for the initial 12 months. The contractor shall assist the relocation of the 16S RNA Analysis capability to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Andrew W. Breidenbach Research Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The SIC Code is 8999. All interested parties may submit a quotation using the following methods: 1) In writing to the above address, 2) by fax, 513-487-2107, or 3) by E-Mail to curtiss.barbara@epamail.epa.gov. All quotes should reference Quotation No.CLXN27. Telephone requests will not be honored. Quotations must be received no later than 4/22/98 by 4:30p.m. local time to be considered for award. (0098)

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