Inactive

C.1 Scope of Work Description of Work: The purpose of this work is to test samples collected from white pine (i.e. Sugar Pine and Limber Pine) candidate trees to detect the presence of the Major Gene ... C.1 Scope of Work Description of Work: The purpose of this work is to test samples collected from white pine (i.e. Sugar Pine and Limber Pine) candidate trees to detect the presence of the Major Gene Resistance (MGR) to White Pine Blister Rust (WPBR) using Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS). WPBR is a major threat to high elevation white pines, including Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) and Limber pine (Pinus flexilis). Several white pine species contain a major gene called Cr that confers resistance to WPBR. The hypersensitive reaction (HR) is a well-understood resistance-virulence system of the WPBR pathosystem. The host “R” gene is associated with the HR response or MGR. The MAS assay substitutes a greenhouse screening, which is labor intensive, costly, and requires several years to identify trees with the resistance allele. Once trees are identified with the MGR, they will serve as seed sources for reforestation in locations where the pathogen is present or spreading. Contractor Responsibility: The Contractor shall provide everything--including, but not limited to, all equipment, supplies, labor, and supervision--necessary to complete the project, except for that which the contract clearly states is to be furnished by the Government. The Contractor shall furnish all technical expertise, labor, equipment, supervision, operation supplies, and incidentals necessary to complete the project, except for that which the contract clearly states is to be furnished by the Government. All equipment shall meet or exceed OSHA specification. There may or may not be a Forest Service designated representative on site with the Contractor during the contract. A COR or designated representative will always be available by phone, text, or email. C.2 Project Location & Description Location: Contractor’s own laboratory Description: Samples from Sugar Pine candidate trees will be processed using a MAS procedure based on TagMan assay to identify WPBR resistance gene Cr1. This assay will a set of to SNPs 191/391 selected during the developed of this marker system for MGR Sugar Pine. The scope of this contract also includes the development of an additional low-cost TaqMan assays for screening Limber Pine individuals against SNP locus M304083-485Y and to evaluate additional SNP loci against known WPBR resistant and susceptible phenotypes. Accessibility: Any prospective contractor desiring an explanation or interpretation of the solicitation, drawings, specifications, etc., must request it in writing from the Contracting Officer soon enough to allow a reply to reach all prospective contractors before the solicitation closing date. Oral explanations or instructions given before the award of a contract will not be binding. C.3 Estimated Start Date & Contract Time Estimated Start Date: September 30th, 2022 Base Year - September 30th, 2022 - September 29th, 2023 Option Year 1 - September 30th, 2023 - September 29th, 2024 Option Year 2 - September 30th, 2024 - September 29th, 2025 Option Year 3 - September 30th, 2025 - September 29th, 2026 Option Year 4 - September 30th, 2026 - September 29th, 2027 Number of Calendar Days Required: 365 days (per year) Rate of Progress: Contract work shall be performed in accordance with the order of preference approved by the Contracting Officer’s Representative in the Contractor’s operations plan. The Contractor shall maintain progress at a rate that will assure quality and completion within the period of performance specified above. Delays due to normal adverse weather, weekends, and holidays have been included in the calculation of contract time. The Government reserves the right to set the priority of items or sub-items. The Contractor shall complete all work on one sub item before proceeding to another unless otherwise agreed by COR. C.4 Licenses and Insurance The contractor shall obtain the insurance and licenses listed here. Worker’s Compensation Insurance: The Contractor shall provide evidence of Worker’s Compensation Insurance or a valid reason that exempts the Contractor from the requirement. NOTE: The Contractor working alone is not required to carry the insurance. If the contractor fails to provide the documentation within 10 calendar days after contract time begins, the contract may be terminated for cause in accordance with FAR 52.212-4. MSPA Card (Form WH510): This contract [ ] does [XX] does not require the contractor to be registered with the US Department of Labor as a Farm Labor Contractor. The Contractor shall provide a current Form WH510 or legible copy. C.5 Technical Requirements C.5-1 Definitions Definitions: Marker-Assisted Selection- An indirect selection process where a trait of interest is selected based on a marker linked to a trait of interest, rather than on the trait itself. White Pine Blister Rust (WPBR)- Species of rust fungus in the family Cronartiaceae that causes the disease white pine blister rust. High-Throughput Screening Assay- The use of automated equipment to rapidly test thousands to millions of samples for biological activity at the model organism, cellular, pathway, or molecular level. C.5-2 Specifications Region 5 Genetic Resources Program will provide the needle samples or extracted DNA samples from candidate Sugar Pine or Limber Pine trees. Marker-Assisted Screening (MAS) using TaqMan assay will be performed for detection of MGR trees. C.5-3 Contractor-Furnished Equipment Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment and supplies to conduct marker assay.