68 -- PROBES AND PRIMERS

Notice Date

September 7, 2001

Contracting Office

National Institutes of Health, NIAID, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, 903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840

ZIP Code

59840

Solicitation Number

NOI-RML00006

Response Due

September 24, 2001

Point of Contact

Lynda Kieres, Purchasing Agent (406) 363-9210 / Rebecca Guenthner, Contracting Officer (301) 402-2284

E-Mail Address

Click here to contact the Purchasing Agent via e-mail (LKieres@niaid.nih.gov)

Description

17 This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation, Notice of Intent. The Government intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Applied Biosystems, Inc (ABI) for custom probes and primers in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. In the Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis we are currently performing complete microarray analysis on the genome of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. Critical to our complete genome microarray analysis of Yersinia pestis is the coordinate quantitation of a subset of Yersinia pestis mRNA transcripts. Microarray data must be compared to PCR quantitation data in order to support/contrast findings prior to publication. Transcript quantitation can only be performed in LHBP via the two ABI instruments that we currently have on site; the ABI TaqMan 7700 and 7900HT instruments. These instruments provide automated mRNA transcript quantitation, but are stringent with regards to covalently attached dyes on probes and probe and primer purity and quantity. Probes and sequence detection primers sequences have been designed based upon the ABI Primer Express Software. We have selected a subset of Yersinia pestis genes reported to have virulence properties or virulence associations for TaqMan analysis. It is critical that the probes and primers synthesized for TaqMan analysis be compatible with our existingTaqMan instruments, protocols and reagents. At this time we know that ABI probes and Sequence detection primers are compatible with our existing reagents and supplies for TaqMan analysis. Failure to acquire ABI probes and primers would result in a complete failure of the Yersinia pestis TaqMan experiments. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation, quotes are not being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number is issued as a Notice of Intent (NOI-RML00006). The solicitation documents and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-27. This acquisition will be processed under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) and is not a Small Business Set-Aside. The associated North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) code for this procurement is 32598 and the size standard is 500 employees. SCHEDULE: The Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis (LHBP) proposes to procure: probes and primers specific to the subset Yersinia pestis mRNA transcripts. This probe and primer set will consist of 125 probes and 250 primers the later of which comprising a total of 125 primer pairs. The oligo probes shall be produced with the following features: (1) they shall be synthesized and aliquoted into 96 well format at 100 pmol/ul concentrations in TE buffer, shipped on blue ice or dry ice depending on the time in the week. (2) for the oligo primer pairs, the forward and reverse primers for any gene shall be placed in different plates but in corresponding wells on those plates; (3) and shipped at room temperature in a dryed down state. The probes and primers will be shipped in two boxes either on the same day or separated by one day. 125 ORFs have been identified in Yersinia pestis requiring 250 primers averaging 24 nucleotides in length. Following a cDNA synthesis of RNA isolated under controlled growth conditions from Yersinia pestis, probes and primers pairs will be involved in a PCR reaction designed to quantitate transcripts for these 125 genes. Microarray analysis will be used to support or refute the TaqMan expression profile of these 125 Yersinia pestis genes. Determination of the expression profile of these 125 genes will allow conclusions to be drawn, regarding which of these genes are expressed under defined growth conditions. Those genes that are expressed are likely to be important in the human host or the insect vector and may contribute to pathogenesis in general. This data will present suitable targets (in the form of these genes) for alternative therapies to Yersinia pestis infections. FOB Point shall be Destination, Hamilton, MT. Inside delivery shall be no more than 30 days after receipt of order (ARO). Delivery location is Rocky Mountain Laboratories, 903 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, MT. The following FAR provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial; FAR 52-212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items; FAR 52-212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. Offerors must include with their offer a completed copy of the provisions at FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. Any response to this NOI may be mailed or faxed to the POC indicated above (Fax -- 406-363-9288). Offers must be submitted not later than 4:30 PM (MDST) on September 24, 2001. Copies of the above-referenced clauses are available upon request, either by telephone or fax.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010911/68SOL001.HTM (W-250 SN50X0O0)