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Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Solicitation Number: 75N95021Q00328 Title: Automated, Computer-interfaced Automated Storage / Retrieval System for NCATS Classification Code:... Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Solicitation Number: 75N95021Q00328 Title: Automated, Computer-interfaced Automated Storage / Retrieval System for NCATS Classification Code: 6640 NAICS Code: 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing Dollars or Number of Employees: 1,000 employees Description: The purpose of this requisition is to procure a BioTek MultiFlo FX system or “equal” and accessories for the Therapeutic Development Branch (TDB) with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Division of Preclinical Innovation in support of COVID-19 Research. Background: This effort is in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the effort to continue research on this virus. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s leading medical research agency and the primary Federal agency whose mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability, conducting, supporting and making medical discoveries that improve people’s health and save lives. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), whose mission it is to catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies that will enhance the development, testing and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics across a wide range of human diseases and conditions. The Therapeutic Development Branch (TBD) within the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Division of Preclinical Innovation (DPI) requires an automated incubator and reagent dispenser along with a microplate stacker for integration of equipment in order to meet the needs of the Antiviral Program for Pandemics Project. A critical aspect of this project is developing assays for predicative toxicity of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), which will be used as the next generation of antivirals as well as treatments for rare diseases. Predictive neurotoxicity will be assessed using neuronal spheroid assays that has been integrated with automated equipment to streamline the process for high throughput screening. Calcium imaging assays using neuronal spheroids, measure cellular activity and resulting changes due to compound treatment can be used as readout of neurotoxicity. While these assays can be preformed in high content microplates, significantly increasing the number of compounds able to be screened at once, manual requirements of maintaining these plates are time consuming and restricts the size of the experiment. In order to overcome these limitations and increase the throughput of this assay, the BioTek BioSpa 8 automated incubator and MultiFlo FX reagent dispenser, along with the BioStack 4 microplate stacker, will streamline cell culture maintenance requirements of the spheroid, allowing TBD scientists to use more plates at once, increasing the workflow to allow high throughput screening of ASOs. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this requisition is to procure a BioTek MultiFlo FX system or “equal” and accessories for the Therapeutic Development Branch (TDB) with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Division of Preclinical Innovation in support of COVID-19 Research. The BioTek MultiFlo FX uses peristaltic pumps to gently add and remove media from the wells of microplates, eliminating the need for scientist to manually change the media every one to two days. The MultiFlo FX’s use of a peristaltic pumps is of critical importance as it prevents the disruption of the spheroids, a common problem when using 3D cellular models. To further decrease the manual requirements of cell culture maintenance, integration with the BioSpa 8 automated incubator will automate this process. The automated incubator also permits electronic monitoring and documentation of temperature, gas (CO2/O2), and humidity levels throughout the experiment. Addition of the BioStack 4 microplate stacker will permit complete integration between this equipment. An important feature of the BioStack 4 is the ability to de-lidding and re-lidding the microplates when transferring between the MultiFlo and automated incubator. As the scientist will no longer be required to manually transfer plates to the MultiFlo, this automated setup and workflow will significantly decrease the time required fto maintain the spheroids, allowing for a complete walk-away workflow. Increasing the work capacity of this assay will allow for high throughput screening of ASOs required for this project. Project requirements: Please see attachment for requirements Salient characteristics The characteristics at the minimum shall meet the following requirements: -Multi-mode dispensing replaces multiple instruments -Automated, gentle media exchange and spheroid washing -Mapped dispensing to individual wells for normalization -Wash module for 6- to 384-well plates -Parallel Dispense technology: peristaltic and/or syringe pumps -Cell friendly angled dispense and/or wash tubes - Two year warranty to be included Anticipated period of performance: Anticipated to be one Time delivery approximately 30 days ARO Place of Performance: The place of performance shall be: 9800 Medical Center Dr Bldg B Rockville, MD 20850 Other important considerations: Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the work mentioned above. Capability statement /information sought. Respondents must provide clear and convincing documentation of their capability of providing the services specified in this notice. Also, information must be provided in sufficient details of the respondents’ (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and other management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc., pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. The information submitted must be in and outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement /information sought paragraphs stated herein. A cover page and an executive summary may be included but is not required. The response is limited to ten (10) page limit. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references, if requested. The response must include the respondents’ technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response must be submitted to Nick Niefeld, Contract Specialist at e-mail address nick.niefeld@nih.gov. The response must be received on or before August 6, 2021, at 9 am Eastern Time. “Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).”