Inactive

Description: This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availabilit... Description: This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. Statement of Need and Purpose: Alzheimer‘s disease (AD) is devastating and global public health problem with an urgency to identify public health interventions and therapeutics. Although we now understand the disease to be a complex integration of disease pathways and risk factors, our understanding of the causal chain of events remains elusive. However, recent advances in technology provide us with new opportunities to identify genetic, environmental and gene-environment interactions that play a role in disease causation. One such discovery is the role of the epigenome, an intermediary between genetic and environmental interactions that can contribute to the risk of complex disease (Lin et al., 2018; Qureshi & Mehler, 2015). The epigenome modulates cell- and tissue-specific gene expression, and is also affected by nongenetic risk factors, smoking being a well established modulator of the epigenome. Ultimately, the epigenome can change gene and protein expression, and alter the vulnerability to disease (Hannon, Lunnon, Schalkwyk, & Mill, 2015; Lin et al., 2018; van Dongen et al., 2016) (Gao, Jia, Zhang, Breitling, & Brenner, 2015; Marioni et al., 2018). Thus, there is a critical need to better understand the pathobiology of, and identifying candidate interventions against AD, by characterizing the methylation patterns consistent with AD dementia and related cognitive and brain imaging biomarkers (Bpath). Background Information and Objective: Understanding the brain remains one of the 21st century’s greatest challenge. There has been some progress in identifying genes that regulate the normal development of the brain, as well as the abnormal development of pathology that effects a wide range of system dysfunction. The AGES-RS cohort has already been well characterized with genomics and proteomics. The addition of data on the epigenome will enhance the value of this cohort with the broad objective of identifying risk factors for and mechanisms underlying AD. Infinium MethylationEPIC provides robust methylation profiling microarray with extensive coverage of CpG islands, genes, and enhancers. The array can interrogate over 850,000 methylation sites quantitatively across the genome at single-nucleotide resolution. Multiple samples, including FFPE, can be analyzed in parallel to deliver high-throughput power while minimizing the cost per sample. Furthermore, Infinium HD array technology enables content selection independent of bias-associated limitations often associated with methylated DNA capture methods. Project Requirements/Salient Characteristics: 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 following: Perform methylation analyses of 5000 samples from 2500 individuals with 2 timepoints, of DNA samples, who were examined in AGES 1 and 2. Plate out DNA to account for batch effects on the 2 time point within individual comparisons. Identify a Lab that uses a methylation platform [Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array] consistent with data from other large studies so that the results from AGES is suitable for pooled analyses. Provide a sample tracking sheet to be sent to the Laboratory that performs the methylation assays. The methylation platform should be consistent with data from other large studies so that the results from AGES is suitable for pooled analyses. Obtain data in electronic form that includes methylation (CPG) sites and are quality controlled and normalized to a given standard. Process and conduct analyses to demonstrate the integrity of the data and to investigate associations of methylation patterns to cross-sectional and longitudinal change in brain pathology. Send a report to NIA Program Officer. Anticipated Period of Performance: 12 months. Capability Statement/Information Sought: The capability statement should include 1) current in house capability and capacity to perform the work, 2) prior completed projects of similar nature 3) any contractor GSA Schedule contracts by which all of the requirements may be met, if applicable, and 4) any other information considered relevant to this program, 4) Icelandic IRB approved access to biospecimens from the AGES study, 5) capability to access DNA sample from the biobank holding the samples. 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 an 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. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted. The response must be submitted to Rashiid Cummins (Contract Specialist) at e-mail address Rashiid.Cummins@nih.gov. The response must be received on or before January 21st, 2021, 3:00pm, 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).”