A -- BIOMOLECULAR MOTORS (BM)

Notice Date

September 13, 2001

Contracting Office

Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714

ZIP Code

22203-1714

Solicitation Number

BAA01-47

Response Due

January 15, 2002

Point of Contact

Robert Nowak, DARPA Program Manager, Phone 703-696-7491, Fax 703-696-3999, Email none -- Alan Rudolph, DARPA Program Manager, Phone 703-696-2240, Fax 703-696-3999, Email none

Description

BIOMOLECULAR MOTORS (BM); BAA 01-47; BAA OPEN THROUGH 01/15/2002; POC: Dr. Robert J. Nowak and Dr. Alan S. Rudolph, DARPA/DSO, Fax: 703-696-3999, email: baa01-47@darpa.mil; URL http://www.darpa.mil/DSO/baa/baa01-47.htm. INTRODUCTION: Biomolecular motors are nature?s nanomachines that convert chemical energy into mechanical work with performance and scale unparalleled by any man made motors or machines. The principle goal of this program is to develop an understanding of the fundamental operating principles of biomolecular motors and exploit this knowledge to harvest, modify and integrate these macromolecular assemblies into useful devices from the nano to macro scale. This will be accomplished through the exploration of single and multiple biomolecular and biomimetic molecular motor assemblies. Ultimately, laboratory scale devices based on biomolecular motors will be fabricated and fully evaluated for performance, failure modes, and applicability to DoD systems. PROGRAM SUMMARY: The DARPA Biomolecular Motors initiative seeks to develop and demonstrate technology leading to novel devices incorporating biomolecular motors. By the end of the program, DARPA expects to have identified, fabricated, and evaluated several prototype or laboratory-scale devices and determined relative figures of merit based on performance and potential military impact. The exploitation of highly efficient nanomotors and tissues could lead to revolutionary systems with unparalleled performance for Defense applications. These include enabling a whole new generation of hybrid biological/mechanical machines that efficiently actuate materials and fluids at many scales and could enable new classes of sorting, sensing, and actuating devices. The ability to practice highly efficient, chemical to mechanical energy conversion using complex fuels such as glucose and ATP at ambient temperature will also enable applications compatible with biological fluidic systems, both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro applications might include, but are not limited to, self-fueled lab on a chip diagnostics, molecular sorters, hybrid actuators or power sources for robotic, MEMS, drug delivery, and other devices. In vivo applications might include, but are not limited to, perpetual physiological monitoring, drug delivery, tissue regeneration and repair, and prosthetic devices. Proposers must demonstrate key fundamental motor properties and metrics that will ultimately lead to well-defined applications. DARPA seeks the development and testing of complete devices by the end of the two-phase technology development program. Multiple awards are anticipated during Fiscal Year 2002 (FY02). The technical approach will consist of two phases. Phase I (~18 months) will focus on critical demonstrations that will enable biomolecular motor device development. These include the isolation, manipulation, and modification of biomolecular and biomimetic motors to allow the seamless integration of a working motor with a synthetic material. Modifications to biomolecular motors and biocompatible chemical surface modifications of materials could be explored as a means to integrate single and arrayed biomolecular motors into man-made devices. Self-assembly techniques could be used to fabricate macroscopic 3-D motor structures whose performance could be evaluated against intact tissues. Intact biomolecular motors in subcellular, (e.g., flagellae, cilium), cellular (e.g., muscle cell, motile cells), and tissue (e.g., intact muscle) constructs could also be exploited for device development. Metrics such as force dynamics as a function of load, efficiency (chemical in/mechanical out), motor function mechanisms including modeling and simulation, longevity, and stall and failure mechanisms should be determined. These activities will establish a firm foundation from which laboratory scale devices can be fabricated and tested in Phase II. Offerors should submit proposals that address the Phase I goals for a period of up to 18 months. Proposals must demonstrate that the outcome of a successful program will eventually have a significant impact when implemented into a useful device. Even though this phase focuses on enabling science and technology, a notional device design based on a successful research and development outcome should be suggested and its application and performance estimated. Offerors should discuss what DoD applications are either created or enhanced by this device. Clear performance metrics for the Phase I effort should be stated. An 18-24 month Phase II follow-on option should be included in the submission. In order to be considered for Phase II funding, key Phase I milestones must be met that establish a high probability of successful device development. Phase II should include a clear experimental path toward design and fabrication of a working device. Anticipated performance of the system should be clearly described and what components of the system or device that will be demonstrated clearly stated. Experimental plans for determining and demonstrating key metrics of performance of the device should be included. These include measurements of chemomechanical efficiency and operational performance and lifetime. Demonstrations of failure modes and the operational impact of the device on commercial or military applications should be discussed and substantiated in the Phase II option. GENERAL INFORMATION: Proposers must obtain a package entitled "BAA01-47, BIOMOLECULAR MOTORS, Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP)" which provides further information on areas of interest, the submission, evaluation and funding processes, abstract formats, full proposal formats, and other general information. This announcement and the PIP may be retrieved via the World Wide Web (WWW) at URL http://www.darpa.mil/DSO/ under Solicitations, by fax, electronic mail (e-mail), or mail request to addresses given below. Proposals not meeting the format described in the PIP may not be reviewed. This notice, in conjunction with the BAA01-47 PIP, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some or none of the proposals received. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by DARPA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or several areas of research for exclusive competition among these entities. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation should be directed to the administrative addresses below; e-mail and fax are preferred. DARPA intends to use e-mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA#01-47; however, proposals submitted by fax or e-mail will be disregarded. DARPA encourages the use of the WWW for retrieving the PIP and any other related information that may subsequently be provided. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: Proposers must submit an original, five (5) hard copies, and one electronic copy (zip or CD-ROM) of the proposal to DARPA/DSO, (Attn: BAA 01-47), 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 no later than 4:00 P.M., ET, January 15, 2002. Proposal submissions received after this date will not be reviewed. Proposals received before this date may be reviewed immediately. Proposals must meet the objective and format guidelines as described in the PIP to be considered. Proposals shall consist of two volumes: (1) Technical and (2) Cost and shall be labeled as such. Volume 1, Technical, shall not exceed fifty (50) pages in length; including a submission cover sheet (see Enclosure 2 of the PIP for required information), all charts, figures and appendices. The submission cover sheet must accompany each submission. Volume 2, Cost, does not have a page restriction. Proposals submitted by fax or e-mail will be disregarded. TEAMING WORKSHOP: A teaming workshop will be held October 22 -- 23, 2001. Details are posted on http://www.eventmakeronline.com/dso/View/index.asp?MeetingID=3D66. TEAMING WEBSITE: DARPA is offering proposers an opportunity to interact with other interested parties by sponsoring a teaming website. This website may be accessed at the following address: http://www.sainc.com/darpa/biomotors/. Specific information content, communications, networking, and team formation are the sole responsibilities of the participants. DARPA will not participate in these activities other than to provide the website forum to enable others to initiate communications. The teaming website will be available until the BAA closing date of January 15, 2002. EVALUATION CRITERIA: Evaluation of proposals will be accomplished through a technical review of each proposal using the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of relative importance: 1) overall scientific and technical merit in relationship to the originality of the idea and soundness of the technical approach, 2) impact of successful development efforts on Defense systems, 3) ability of the proposer(s) to implement the program as demonstrated by the availability of qualified personnel, equipment and facilities, 4) cost realism. All proposals will be reviewed by Government officials only. Input on technical aspects of the proposals may be solicited by DARPA from non-Government consultants/experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Non-Government technical consultants will not have access to proposals that are labeled by the offerors as ?GOVERNMENT REVIEW ONLY.? Restrictive notices notwithstanding, proposals may be handled, for administrative purposes only, by a support contractor. This contractor is bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Each cost proposal shall contain a section satisfying the requirements of the following: Awards made under this BAA are subject to the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.5, Organizational Conflict of Interest. All offerors and proposed subcontractors must affirmatively state whether they are supporting any DARPA technical office(s) through an active contract or subcontract. All affirmations must state which office(s) the offeror supports and identify the prime contract number. Affirmations shall be furnished at the time of proposal submission, and the existence or potential existence of organizational conflicts of interest, as that term is defined in FAR 9.501, must be disclosed. This disclosure shall include a description of the action the offeror has taken, or proposes to take, to avoid, neutralize or mitigate such conflict. If the offeror believes that no such conflict exists, then it shall so state in this section. It is the policy of DARPA to treat all proposals as competitive information and to disclose the contents only for the purposes of evaluation. The Government intends to use non-government personnel as special resources to assist with the logistics of administering proposal evaluation. Support personnel are restricted by their contracts from disclosing proposal information for any purpose. Contractor personnel are required to sign the Organizational Conflict of Interest Non-Disclosure Agreements. By submission of its proposal, each offeror agrees that proposal information may be disclosed to those selected contractors for the limited purpose stated above. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION: The administrative information for this BAA is: ADMINISTRATIVE POC: Ms. Leanne Wiegand; Email: BAA01-47@darpa.mil; Fax: (703) 696-3999; Mail: DARPA/DSO, ATTN: BAA01-47; 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714.=20

Web Link

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Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010917/ASOL007.HTM (D-256 SN50X4F6)