National Cancer Institute, Research Contracts Branch, PSAS, 6120 Executive Blvd, EPS/Room 638, Bethesda, MD 20892-7227

66 -- OPEN GENE 2 DYE SYSTEM SOL RFQ80130-NS DUE 051298 POC Patricia Haun, Contracting Officer, (301) 496-8613 The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Medicine Branch proposes to procure an Open Gene 2 Dye System from Visible Genetics, Inc., 700 Bay Street, Suite 1000, Toronto, Ontario, Canada MSG 1Z6. The Standard Industrial Classification Code is 3826 and the business size standard is 500. However, this requirement is not set-aside for small businesses. The Medicine Branch has a need for high capacity and high speed DNA analysis of short DNA fragments (200-300bp) for various studies involving T cell receptor repertoire diversity in transplant patients. The required system shall have the combination of 2 dye fluorescence, high sample throughput, flexible sample analysis, and small compact footprint and user-friendly equipment and software. In particular, the system shall have the capability to run 36 sample gels in less than one hour, and it shall utilize disposable gel casettes which can be filled, polymerized and loaded in under ten minutes in order to accommodate the high volumes of high speed fragment analysis in the branch. The system's computer [133 Mhz Pentium (1.3 GB hard drive, 32 MB RAM, 2 MB VRAM, 17" Color Monitor, 1.44 floppy drive, 8X CD Rom and US Robotics internal Modem)] shall permit true multitasking, permitting data analysis to occur at the same time samples are being run, and it shall have the capability to run up to ten MicroGene Blasters from a single workstation or over a distributed network. In addition, the computer shall be user friendly and enable both graphics and numerical data to be ported to spreadsheet, statistical and graphics programs common to Macintosh computers used in the Medicine Branch. The computer, which shall be configured to support the operation of the MicroGene Blaster Automated DNA Sequencer and the GeneObjects analysis software, shall record operations data needed to analyze malfunctions and shall be linked to provide on-line support for troubleshooting. The sequencing system shall provide: 1) a platform to electrophorese DNA sequencing reactions and DNA PCR fragments; 2) detectors, appropriate hardware and filters to support the detection of two fluorescent parameters simultaneously; 3) software to acquire data involving multiple color fluorescence and to analayze this data for DNA sequences and DNA fragment size analysis; 4) hardware and software compatibility with Macintosh computer-based data transfer over an ethernet network; 5) a platform with the capacity to pour and polymerize acrylmaide gels for electrophoresis in disposable containers within 5 minutes; 6) temperature, voltage and current control for the gel electrophoresis; 7) high speed electrophoresis capable of DNA sequencing 16 samples/hour or DNA fragment analysis of 32 samples/30 minutes; 8) multi-tasking capability allowing for analysis of data while collecting new data. The Open Gene 2 Dye system is being selected because of the combination of 2-dye fluorescence, high sample throughput, flexible sample analysis, small compact footprint and user-friendly equipment and software. Visible Genetics, Inc. is the only source known to NCI that can meet these requirements. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, any responsible party that believes it can meet the above requirements may submit a capability statement. Information furnished shall include enough material, in sufficient detail, to allow the NCI researcher to perform a proper evaluation of performance capability. All capability statements received within 15 days of the publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. (0117)

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