USDA-ARS-SAA, Richard B. Russell Center, 950 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605-2720

66 -- QIAGEN BIOROBOT 9600 SYSTEM SOL RFQ-040-4384-99 DUE 092799 POC Elaine Wood, 706/546-3534 E-MAIL: Click here to contact the contracting officer, woode@ars.usda.gov. USDA, ARS intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source, Qiagen, Inc., to provide a Qiagen 9600 BioRobot System, QIAsoft software and accessories. This system will be required to perform the following processes: PCR setup, PCR product purification, Plasmid purification, Sequence reaction (PE-ABI dye terminator) and normalization of concentrations after quantitation. Necessary unique features of this system are: the vacuum manifold must be able to hold 8-well strips as well as 96 well plates, mix samples and size standards with loading dye and load agarose gels, built-in vortex shaker motor and platform, built-in vacuum manifold system with pressure regulated by a microprocessor. Vacuum pressure must be controlled from atmospheric pressure (1000 mbar) down to 100 mbar. Vacuum pump, tubing and traps need to be included., and the system must have a paging system to alert the user when a protocol should be complete. Interested parties should submit written responses including prices and technical data sufficient to determine capability to meet the entire requirement and must be received in this office within 15 calendar days after publication of this notice. It should be noted that no contract will be awarded on the basis of offers received in response to this notice, but will be used to determine if a comparable source more advantageous to the Government is available. If no affirmative written responses are received, negotiations will be held with Qiagen, Inc.tific Inc., without further notice. This acquisition is being conducted under the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The anticipated award date is September 27, 1999 Posted 09/10/99 (W-SN378874). (0253)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0279 19990914\66-0004.SOL)