USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, AAS, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail Drop 5230, Beltsville, MD 20705-5230

66 -- AUTOPLATE 4000 SPIRAL PLATER SOL FSIS-35-W-99 DUE 080499 POC Kim Hersh (301) 504-4211 E-MAIL: kim.hersh@usda.gov, kim.hersh@usda.gov. The U. S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) intends to make an award to Spiral Biotech, Inc., 7830 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, for the purchase of the Autoplate 4000 spiral plater. The Autoplate 4000 spiral plater is a microprocessor controlled dispenser that accurately deposits a liquid sample in a spiral pattern onto the surface of a rotating agar plate. It includes a 250 ul uniform deposition mode for testing low count samples . The entire syringe is illuminated and clearly visible to the user during operation. Multiple depositions without refilling (up to 5 for 50 ul mode). The built-in validation device assures accuracy and meets GLP guidelines. Has eight different plating modes; removable 10 cm centering ring allows for use of 15 cm plates to give equivalent to a four-log reduction. Ability to take up additional sample without cleaning first, allowing multiple dilution sets of one sample. Spiral Biotech, Inc., is the only known source for this machine. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE. All interested concerns must identify their interest in writing and fully document their capability to meet the agency's requirements by forwarding a detailed response by August 4, 1999. All responses from responsible resources will be considered by the Agency. If no affirmative written response is received by August 4 to determine a comparable source is available, or is more advantageous to the Government, negotiations will take place with Sprial Biotech. There is not solicitation documentation available. Posted 07/14/99 (W-SN353854). (0195)

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