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

66 -- INSTRUMENTS & LABORAROTY EQUIPMENT SOL RFQ-NCI-90047 DUE 032399 POC Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Agent, 301-402-4509, Todd Cole, Contracting Officer The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Laboratory of Pathology plans to procure Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) analysis equipment and software from Arcturus Engineering, Inc., 2630 Walsh Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051. LCM technology has been developed by the NCI to provide a rapid and consistently reliable method to procure pure specified cells from specific microscopic regions of tissue sections for subsequent quantitative multiplex molecular analysis. This requirement shall include and posses as a complete system, the following capabilities, salient characteristics, features and specifications:1) The system, which includes all necessary software, shall allow for the rapid detection of genetic variation in DNA and RNA samples currently being collected by the NCI. This is an effort to catalog the genes which are expressed in human tissue as normal cells undergo premalignant changes and further develop into invasive and metastatic cancer. 2)The system shall provide for the ability to procure microscopic tissue cells from human biopsies. This shall allow for the comparison of several hundred to several thousand different proteins, DNA segments, RNA species, or cDNA's at one time. As a result, the ability to locate and map candidate cancer genes, mutations involved in cancers, and/or alleles shall be fully supported by this equipment. 3)The system shall provide the capability to view the microscopic image of a tissue section. 4)The system shall also support, and the user shall be afforded, the capability to select the various cells of interest. 5)The system shall support, and the user shall be afforded, the capability to activate a switch and then obtain only the cells of interest. 6)The system shall provide the capability to capture a video image before and after a procedure is completed. 7)The instrument resolution shall be at least and for the capture of images. Arcturus Engineering Inc. is the only source known to NCI that produces equipment which enables the user to view the microscopic image of a tissue section, select the cell(s) of interest, push a button to procure the selected cells, and capture a video image before and after the procedure. However, if any interested party believes it can meet the above requirement, it may submit a statement of capabilities. The capability statement must be in writing and contain material in sufficient detail to allow NCI to determine if the party can meet the requirement. Capability statements must be received in the contracting office by 2:00 p.m. EST, on March 23, 1999. If there are any questions, please contact Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Agent, on (301) 402-4509. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement 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. No collect calls will be accepted. Please site the solicitation number: RFQ-NCI-90047. Posted 03/05/99 (W-SN305291). (0064)

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