SPECIAL NOTICE
J -- structural studies of membrane proteins
- Notice Date
- 12/17/2020 5:43:32 AM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- HHSNFormulatrix121420
- Response Due
- 12/28/2020 7:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 01/12/2021
- Small Business Set-Aside
- SBA Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)
- Description
- DESCRIPTION: The National Institutes of Health - NICHD intends to procure the services of a contractor to provide structural studies of membrane proteins.� This procurement is for hardware Support with Rock Imager 12x Zoom Visible Light Optics option and Rock Imager Compound Zoom UV. �The lab is interested in the structure and mechanism of proteins embedded in cellular membranes. They solve high-resolution structures of these proteins in order to understand their mechanism. An understanding of their high-resolution structures also enables the lab to embark on structure-based small molecule probe and drug discovery projects. An essential prerequisite to solve crystal structures of these membrane proteins is to obtain high-quality crystals that can give the researchers high-resolution diffraction data. In order to do this, they have to set up thousands of crystallization trials using different crystallization conditions. Periodic examination of these crystallization drops and optimization therefrom enable to hone in on the final crystals that give them the requisite data. Since membrane protein preparations contain detergents that are used for solubilizing membrane proteins and often contain lipids that are added as part of the purification or the crystallization process, it is quite common to get detergent and lipid crystals alongwith membrane protein crystals. So these could be as false negatives that need to be excluded. However, in order to determine whether crystals of membrane proteins diffract or not, the lab has to take them to synchrotrons, that are national level facilities where they get a very limited amount of experimental time. In order to remedy this problem, they use imagers that simultaneously acquire brightfield as well as UV-fluorescence images of the plates. The UV-fluorescence images track tryptophans in proteins and thus only protein crystals show signal in this channel. Moreover, the imagers keep the crystals at a constant temperature, take computer-controlled images periodically and store them so that they can be examined later. The imagers also acquire manual acquisition of images with high magnification. The imagesr are thus the heart of the whole crystallization process and streamline the experimental process with the least amount of loss of time. The lab already has two Formulatrix imagers and the service required is their annual maintenance and upkeeping and repair as and when needed. Unless the lab has a maintenance contract for the imagers, once there is a malfunction, precious time is wasted in obtaining service through procurement. More importantly, in this time protein crystals that have been obtained through months and years of work can go waste thus wasting very important federal resources. Particularly, if the charges are higher, then the procurement can get even more delayed with the threat of more serious damage to our projects. That is why it is necessary to get maintenance contracts for these systems. This proposed procurement is for a service for which the government does intend to solicit from only one source: Formulatrix, located at 10 DeAngelo Drive in Bedford, MA 01730.�� This is, in essence a continuation of the same services performed in prior years with the very same vendor.� It would be in the government�s best interest to work with the same vendor to avoid delays in research due to delay in services, potential fund losses and increased chances of getting Imager-related software or parts damaged, thus costing more in the long run. However, we intend to post it as a combined synopsis or another 15 days to see if there are other potential vendors for future acquisitions.� In order to comply with the requirements in this Special Notice, the responses should be based on our interpretation of the general requirements provided below.� Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit quotations. This notice is not a request for competitive quotes. However, all quotes received within the time and date of publication of this ""Special Notice� will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete with this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a future competitive procurement. HOW TO RESPOND: In order to compete for this project, interested parties must be registered in the Central Contracting Registration/SAM and submit a price quotation by 10:00 m, ET, December 28th 2020. Offerors should submit one copy of the quote to MOE FILALI via email. Electronic transmissions to Moe.Filali@nih.gov are preferable but must be timely. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure the proposal is received by the date and time shown above. The following Federal Acquisition Regulations clauses are incorporated by reference: FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Mar 2005), 52.212-4 (Sept 2005), 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes of Executive Orders-Commercial Items (Aug 2006). (6)(i) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Apr 2002) (E.O. 11246). (18) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Dec 2001) (38 U.S.C. 4212). (19) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 1998) (29 U.S.C. 793). (20) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Dec 2001) (38 U.S.C. 4212). (31) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration (Oct 2003) (31 U.S.C. 3332). Primary Point of Contact: MOE FILALI Contracting Office Address: � NIH/NICHD Office of Acquisitions 6710B Rockledge Drive, Room 1145D Bethesda, MD 20817 (w) 301.827 7737 Moe.filali@nih.gov � Attachments/Links Download All Attachments/Links
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://beta.sam.gov/opp/5b1229b4c995408d990d0d64fb688fa1/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: MA 01730, USA
- Zip Code: 01730
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 01730
- Record
- SN05876375-F 20201219/201217230113 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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