Inactive

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 of qualifie... 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 of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement, to determine the method of acquisition, including whether a set-aside is possible, and availability of domestic sources manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of a satisfactory quality. Small businesses are encouraged to respond. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This notice 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. For equipment/supply requirements, responses must include the place of manufacturing (i.e., address if supply/equipment is a domestic end product and include country of manufacture). For equipment/supply requirements, small businesses must also address the size status of the manufacturer under the applicable NAICS code (i.e., address Non-Manufacturer Rule). Background: The CBBU at NINDS investigates microtubules in vitro and in vivo at spatial scales ranging from nm to ?m. We have a long history of exploring the structure and function of tubulin and microtubules as well as microtubules associated proteins (MAPs) in vitro. We and others have recently demonstrated that the enzymes Spastin and Katanin remove actively remove dimers from the microtubule lattice, and the subsequent lattice defects can be repaired by soluble tubulin. This lattice incorporation of soluble tubulin leads to the formation of GTP islands in the MT lattice that can then regulate MAP binding as well as alter the dynamic instability parameters of the microtubules. We have tried to image these GTP islands in vivo using standard confocal microscopy, but the signal is very weak and obscured bu out of focus light and pinhole crosstalk. The acquisition of the SoRa system will allow us to image GTP MT lattice islands and to discern their functions in vivo. In addition to the enhanced resolution and sensitivity the W1-SoRa unit offers a much larger FOV than is currently possible on our existing microscopes. We would like to investigate the effects of tubulin modification on organelle trafficking. These experiments require imaging large FOV and stitching of multiple FOV to image trafficking over the very long distances of an axon. Purpose: The CBBU at NIDS would like to acquire a Yokogawa CSU-W1 SoRa Super resolution imaging system or an equivalent system. This confocal spinning disk microscope will allow us to image with increased sensitivity as well as increased spatial resolution (~2x the diffraction limit after deconvolution). The W1 system also enables a large field of view (FOV) and uniform intensity across the field of view, which is necessary for tracking long neuronal processes and organelle transport over large distances, and homogeneous illumination over the entire FOV which is necessary when stitching multiple FOV together to avoid intensity drop off in the corners. In addition the enhanced optical sectioning and sensitivity of the SoRa disk will enable us to visualize small lattice damage site on microtubules in vivo. Project Requirements: The Contractor shall provide one Yokogawa CSU-W1 SoRa Super resolution imaging system or an equivalent system. This confocal spinning disk microscope will allow the use to image with increased sensitivity as well as increased spatial resolution (~2x the diffraction limit after deconvolution). The minimum acceptable standards are: A Yokogawa-CSU W1 Scan head with a SoRa disk and a separate 50 ?m disk A magnification changing unit with 1x/2.8x and 4.0x magnification options A Yokogawa Illumination Uniformizer to ensure homogeneous excitation An effective field of view of 61 ?m x 75 ?m An XY/Z reolution of 150 nm before and 120 nm after deconvolution A PC workstation with DAQ card for instrument control Nikon Elements software and JOBS module for control of the W1 and SoRa unit The ability to control laser intensity and modulation via TTL pulse from a DAQ card . Period of Performance: The imaging system shall come with at least a 1 year warranty on all parts mechanical and electrical, and at least a 1 year license for Nikon Elements. Delivery Date: 120-160 days after award Capability statement/information sought: Contractors that believe they possess the ability to provide the required service, should submit documentation on their ability to meet each of the project requirements to the Contract Specialist. The Contractor should directly and specifically state in the capabilities statement how they are able to fulfill the project requirements independently and not as an agent of the Government. The Contractor must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, GSA number (If available) etc., pursuant to the applicable NAICS code and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. 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 a two (2) page limit. The 2-page limit does not include the cover page or executive summary. 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 Tiffany Stone, Contract Specialist, at Tiffany.Stone@nih.gov. The response must be received on or before August 12, 2022 at 5 pm, 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).