SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- FEI HELIOS Nanolab 600i UHR FEG-SEM/FIB
- Notice Date
- 8/13/2010
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Office of Acquisitions, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland, 20852
- ZIP Code
- 20852
- Solicitation Number
- NCI-100168-MM
- Archive Date
- 9/7/2010
- Point of Contact
- Melissa P Marino, Phone: 301-402-4509, Caren N Rasmussen, Phone: (301) 402-4509
- E-Mail Address
-
marinome@mail.nih.gov, cr214i@nih.gov
(marinome@mail.nih.gov, cr214i@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Description The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), Laboratory of Cell Biology (LCB) plans to procure on a sole source basis the brand name FEI HELIOS Nanolab 600i UHR FEG-SEM/FIB from FEI Company, 5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, OR 97124-5793. This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 12 - Acquisition for Commercial Items and will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR Part 13.106(b)(2) and 13.501-(a)(1) using simplified acquisition procedures for commercial acquisitions. The North American Industry Classification System code is 334516 and the business size standard is 500 employees. Only one award will be made as a result of this solicitation. This will be awarded as a firm fixed price type contract. Delivery Time: Approximately 90 days from date of award. There is a genuine need for technologies that can be used for rapid 3D imaging of large mammalian cells to provide information at nanometer resolution, since the availability of such methods will revolutionize an understanding of the cell and organelle function at the molecular level. The NCI Laboratory of Cell Biology has been developing a strategy for 3D imaging of biological specimens which combines iterative removal of material from the surface of a bulk specimen using focused ion beam milling with imaging of the newly exposed surface using scanning electron microscopy. Using this technology, termed ion abrasion scanning electron microcopy (IA-SEM), the lab has shown that large mammalian cells can be rapidly imaged at resolutions of 20-nm in the z-direction (direction of section removal), and 6 nm in the x-y plane (plane of section removal). The proposed instrument, FEI HELIOS Nanolab 600i UHR FEG-SEM/FIB is a significant advance over current capabilities, and provides powerful tools for automation that enable 7/24 operation and data acquisition. The HELIOS 600i dual beam system provides a powerful tool for automated, high throughput, site-specific tissue imaging at resolutions good enough to visualize the subcellular architecture of cells and cell-cell contacts. The HELIOS 600i will significantly enhance capabilities for (i) visualization of the architecture of normal vs. tumor cells, (ii) localization of retroviruses such as HIV in cells and tissues, (iii) generation of tissue sections at room temperature and cryogenic temperatures using electronic rather than manual sectioning, (iv) three-dimensional visualization of cells and tissues at resolutions ten times better than optical microscopy, (v) complete automation of all steps in data acquisition, and (vi) imaging of cell interiors at signal-to-noise ratios high enough to allow automated segmentation of structures of subcellular organelles. High resolution electron microscopic imaging holds the key to unlocking the answers to many seemingly intractable biological problems in cancer and HIV/AIDS research, including cell-cell interactions, ligand-receptor binding, intracellular signaling and virus-mediated fusion. Very few high resolution electron based imaging facilities exist in the world and NCI offers the environment necessary to support such an effort, including expertise in structural and cell biology, cancer research, virology, nanoscience, computational and systems biology. The following salient characteristics apply to the FEI HELIOS Nanolab 600i UHR FEG-SEM/FIB: -Ultra-high resolution electron optics (magnetic immersion lens with ultra-high brightness emitter) with electrostatic scanning, advanced SE and BSE in-lens detection, and capable of being equipped for STEM imaging -Integrated plasma cleaning technology to ensure that the specimen-surface is exceptionally clean. A very clean specimen surface is especially important when working at low landing energies and with biological specimens, where the deposition rate of hydrocarbons is high. -Control of local gas environment to enable localized etching -High-precision specimen Piezo goniometer with full 150 mm travel along the x and y axes -Facile low magnification sample navigation -System architecture optimized for automation, and ability to be modified for particular application needs to generate large 3D volume data sets from cells and tissues -Capable of remote diagnosis and remote operation -Guaranteed uptime of 90% for data collection on 7/24 clock Other specific points relevant to specimens in the NCI Laboratory of Cell Biology: -The biological applications in this lab require scanning electron microscope optics with very good low accelerating voltage performance. The Helios 600i system has at least 1.4 nm secondary electron resolution at 1 kV. -The Helios 600i system can be upgraded to even higher resolution capability with the addition of a monochromatic electron source and with beam deceleration. -The Helios 600i system has high beam current milling for quick removal of biological material -The Helios 600i is a robust platform for a high level of automated sample slicing and imaging with features that include automated drift correction, slice thickness measurement, selection of multiple areas for data acquisition on each cross-section with full control of data acquisition parameters. -The Helios 600i has an integrated Operating System for controlling both the ion and electron beams, and can be fully remotely controlled via the Internet. -The Helios 600i system has Piezo drives in XIY for better precision of movement, electrostatic scanning instead of electromagnetic scanning for better linearity and control FEI Company, Inc. is the only known manufacturer of an instrumentation system with the unique characteristics critical for this research at the NCI. The HELIOS Nanolab 600i is the only workstation designed for automated nano-machining and 3D imaging techniques that can provide the detailed specifications essential for ongoing studies within the Laboratory of Cell Biology. No other known sources exist to provide this laboratory instrument. The features outlined above are necessary for the mission of the laboratory. The NCI will be trading in the Nova Nanolab system presently installed at NCI when purchasing the HELIOS Nanolab 600i. This is not a solicitation for competitive quotations. However, if any interested party believes they can meet the above requirement, they may submit a statement of capabilities. All information furnished must be in writing and must contain sufficient detail to allow the NCI to determine if it can meet the above unique specifications described herein. An original and one copy of the capability statement must be received in the NCI Office of Acquisitions on or before 11:00 AM EST on August 23, 2010. No electronic capability statements will be accepted (i.e. email or fax). An original and one copy must be sent to the NCI Office of Acquisitions at the address stated above. All questions must be in writing and can be faxed (301) 402-4513 or emailed to Melissa Marino, Contract Specialist, at marinome@mail.nih.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract 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. In order to receive an award, contractors must have valid registration and certification in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) www.ccr.gov and the Online Representations and Certifications Applications (ORCA), http://orca.bpn.gov. No collect calls will be accepted. Please reference solicitation number NCI-100168-MM on all correspondence.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/RCB/NCI-100168-MM/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: United States
- Record
- SN02240750-W 20100815/100814000347-a455ff3dbb5b46d0d3df38b5ad9e2274 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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