Inactive

The BIO-RAD CFX96 Touch Real-Time PCR Detection System will be used for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to measure gene expression. The Bio-Rad CFX96 Touch Real-Time PCR Detection System... The BIO-RAD CFX96 Touch Real-Time PCR Detection System will be used for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to measure gene expression. The Bio-Rad CFX96 Touch Real-Time PCR Detection System is sensitive and can reproducibly detect differences between samples. This system allows 96 samples to be run simultaneously and thereby will minimize contamination by pipetting errors. The cfx96 detection system is unique in that it allows small reaction volume of 10ul to minimize the amount of sample RNA/DNA required per reaction and would be very helpful if original sample volume is limited as in our laboratory. Further, to avoid time consuming optimization and validation processes and added expenses, the system must be consistent with the real-time PCR assays that have already been optimized and validated in our laboratory on the iCycler iQ5 system. Performing such re-optimization and validation activities would significantly increase our workload for multiple technicians over several months, which would negatively impact our sample turn-around times and it will further delay our ongoing research. CFX96 software is compatible with iQ5 cycler and reduce our time on optimizing our already standardized protocol. In addition, the scientist involved in this project has previous experience with this software and this software is easy for an average person to learn and use. Our unit will be studying the role of mycotoxins on immune responses and mitigation strategies for mycotoxins. We will be using Real-Time PCR detection to quantify cytokine mRNA from multiple tissue types. One of the cutting-edge techniques we will be using to study mycotoxin toxicity is miRNAs for which Real-Time PCR is a must. We will be multiplexing in Real-Time PCR to simultaneously quantify 5 different set of genes and this machine has a unique ability to do multiplexing will decrease reaction numbers, run time, and amount of sample consumed and will automatically identify the best housekeeping gene. A temperature gradient option in this machine will let our unit to optimize new primer/probe set to test multiple annealing temperatures at the same time, The CFX-96 detection system can do melt curves in conjunction with SYBRgreen technology to determine the specificity of primer sets which will help our unit to design new primers. The average real-time PCR amplification run (~35 cycles) is around 2 hours and to process large numbers of samples in our unit, we will be using the machine for a minimum of 4 runs a day. The government anticipates award of a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the specifications will be most advantageous to the Government. PAYMENT: Any award made under this solicitation is subject to 31 CFR Part 208 which requires all payments made by the government to be made by electronic funds transfer. Please note on your proposal if you will accept a government purchase (Mastercard) card. This solicitation incorporates the following FAR clauses, provisions, and addendums: 52-212-1 Instructions to Offerors- Commercial Item; 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items – annual representations and certifications are required. Offers shall include a statement as follows on their offer: the offeror verifies by submission of this offer that the representations and certifications currently posted electronically at https://www.sam.gov have been entered or updated in the last 12 months, are current, accurate, complete, and applicable to this solicitation (including the business size standard applicable to the NAICS code referenced for this solicitation), as of the date of this offer and are incorporated in this offer by reference, except for paragraphs ; 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items; 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders-Commercial Items. In paragraph B of 52.212-5, the following apply: 52.219-28, 52.222-3, 52.222-19, 52.222- 21, 52.222-26, 52.222-36, 52.225-3, 52.225-13, and 52.225-33. In the event the vendor will accept payment via the Government Purchase Card (Mastercard), the vendor shall annotate on its offer that it will accept the purchase card, and clause 52.232-33 will be superseded by clause 52.232-36. All sources wishing to provide a quotation must respond by 5:00 PM, July 16, 2021. Quotations should be addressed to USNPRC 950 College Station Rd, Athens, GA 30605. POC is Kelly Bero, Purchasing Agent, 706/546-3025. Please email to Kelly.Bero@usda.gov. All responses will be evaluated to determine the equipment’s capability to meet the above requirements.