USDA, ARS, North Atlantic Area, Contracting Office, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038

66 -- UPGRADES FOR A FLOW CYTOMETER SYSTEM POC Lisa M. Botella, Point of Contact, (215) 233-6551, fax (215) 233-6558, Regina M. Herchak, Contracting Officer The USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), intends to negotiate solely with Becton-Dickinson Immunocytometry Systems in San Jose, CA to furnish and deliver to the USDA, ARS, Eastern Regional Research Center, in Wyndmoor (Philadelphia), PA, for components to upgrade an existing Beckton-Dickinson FACS Vantage/SE Flow Cytometer System. The upgrade includes one (1) each of the following: 1) A Third Mount which includes hardware and optics that allow for simultaneous use of three (3) laser beams on a FACS Vantage/SE system. 2) A Pulse Processor that will take the signal generated by the FACS Vantage SE detector and provide pulse processing (pulse area, pulse width, ratio) of up to three detector signals. 3) A Fluorescence Detector to provide active fluorescence 4 channel for the FACS Vantage/SE system for use with the second or third laser and includes all hardware and the appropriate optics. 4) An Aerosol Management System which includes all hardware for containment of biohazardous aerosols. (The aerosol management system functions as an integrated biohazardous containment system by (a) preventing backflush of sample (live cells) from the sample uptake tube (backdrip control); (b) preventing aerolsolized droplets from escaping from the sample collections chamber including laser interrogation and droplet formation chamber; (c) integration of A and B into the fluidics control and other instrument features including collection chamber, sample cooling capabilities, existing vacuum control, etc. (d) establishment of a continuous negative air pressure within the sample collection, laser interrogation and droplet formation chambers using vacuum pumps along with HEPA filter air processing.) 5) Magneto-Optical Drive for FACS Vantage/SE to provide a high capacity, stable data storage for the large amounts of information gathered by the instrument. 6) Installation. 7) Training on each component. 8) An Operations and Maintenance Manual, Installation Manual, and Replacement Parts List (if applicable) and a 1-year partsand labor warranty. The components must be compatible with a Beckton-Dickinson FACS Vantage/SE Flow Cytometer System and integrate the entire system for use in research in the detection of food borne pathogenic bacteria and to examine bacterial stress related proteins. Delivery shall be F.O.B. Destination within 120 calendar days after contract award. Companies with the demonstrated capability to provide and service this equipment must submit a written substantive statement outlining the Company's and systems' capabilities to the Contracting Officer within 15 days of publication of this notice. This is not a request for proposal. No solicitation is available. Posted 12/18/98 (W-SN281892). (0352)

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