Brand Name MoFlo Astrios w/intellisort II for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Cancer Research (CCR).

This amendment revises the Pre-Solicitation notice. Changes to the pre-solicitation are underlined. National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), Vaccine Branch Flow Cytometry Core, plans to procure on a sole source basis the MoFlo Astrios w/intellisort II from Beckman Coulter, 11800 SW 147th Ave, Miami, FL 33196. This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 12 - Acquisition for Commercial Items and will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) and 13.501- (a)(1) using simplified acquisition procedures for commercial acquisitions. The North American Industry Classification System code is 334516 and the business size standard is 500 employees. Only one award will be made as a result of this solicitation. This will be awarded as a firm fixed price type contract. It has been determined there are no opportunities to acquire green products or services for this procurement. Delivery Date: 90 days from date of award. The NCI CCR, Vaccine Branch Flow Cytometry Core was created in Bldg 41 to fulfill an urgent, unmet need on NCI's Bethesda campus for a Core with BL2/BL3 containment, able to safely sort live cells infected with retroviruses, such as HIV/SIV, and other infectious agents known or suspected in blood and tissue samples. The VB Flow Cytometry Core also supports multiple flow cytometry applications including: cell sorting of both infectious samples (HIV, SIV, HTLV) and non-infectious samples, multi-color immunophenotyping, cell cycle analysis, proliferation analysis (Ki67, PCNA, BrdU, CFSE), apoptosis measurement (Annexin V, JC1, Active Caspase 3, TUNEL), intracellular cytokine analysis, stem cell analysis and sorting, calcium flux analysis, bead array analysis of soluble proteins, phosphorylated protein analysis, fluorescent protein analysis and sorting, side population cell sorting and quantitative flow cytometry. The VB Flow Cytometry Core currently supports CCR investigators from 13branches including the Vaccine Branch, the Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, and the Cancer Genetics Branch. The VB Flow Cytometry Core is currently equipped with one FACSAria II cell sorter. The FACSAria II is configured with 488 nm, 640 nm, and 405 nm lasers and 12-color capability for cell sorting. This laser configuration does not allow for cell sorting of samples utilizing the fluorescent fruit proteins (such as mCherry) that have become popular with CCR investigators due to the ability to use this label in assays along with other commonly used labels but can only be sorted on Flow Cytometry Core cell sorters in Building 37. There is an urgent and compelling need for another Core cell sorter in Building 41 with the 561 nm laser needed for this type of cell sorting. The VB Flow Cytometry Core has been approved by CCR to purchase of a new cell sorter using Resource Request System funds. VB hopes to use the instrument to identify novel subsets of submicron biological particles, 1) for use as diagnostic biomarkers of disease and treatment responses, and 2) to discover characteristics of those particles that will enable the development of new therapies (vaccines or other targeted therapies) for cancers, immune disorders, and infections diseases. This cell sorter needs to be equipped with 488 nm, 561nm, 640nm and 405nm lasers, 18 color capability, index sorting into 96-well plates, and a biological safety cabinet for infectious single cell sorting, because several users in the Vaccine Branch will use the instrument for human and non-human primate infectious specimens. In addition to supporting cell sorting of infectious cells and samples expressing fluorescent proteins, this cell sorter needs to support the new nanoFACSTM application currently being developed at NCI. The Beckman Coulter Moflow Astrios w/Intellisort II is the only commercially available cell sorter with the sensitivity needed to detect and sort nanoscale particles in the 80-100 nm ranged, with two independent FSC channels with multiple mask selection capabilities, and with zero dead electronic time required for practical implementation of the nanoFACSTM application. Contractor Requirements are: The cell sorter to be purchased for the Vaccine Branch Flow Cytometry Core Facility must also meet the following criteria: - Dual multi-fiber Beam Shaping Optic (BSO) for fiber coupled lasers (reduces footprint, improves beam characteristics, and simplifies alignment) - Supports two independent FSC channels, FSC-1 and FSC-2 with multiple mask selection for application-specific setup - FSC PMTs provide adjustable voltages down to 100V - Voltage & gain settings stored in software protocols and FCS files and displayed in a new Mini-Pod view on the instrument control panel - Minimum threshold trigger of 0.001% - Define and use custom filters fully integrated with the standard filters - Automatically store filter setup in an FCS file for retrieval and application between Astrios Instruments - Display and print instrument filter setup as part of the Run Report extracted from an FCS file - QC criteria and results for each detector available for each POD display - New mini-POD displays two-channel Forward Scatter (FSC) optical path, which supports all of the above features - Selectable factory-masks allow user to adjust small and large particle sensitivity - Seven (7) laser alignment through only two (2) alignment stages for quick sorter setup - Flat-Top beam profile on fiber coupled lasers increases beam stability and power, alignment ease - Touch Screen Control Panel for instrument set up and sort monitoring (intuitive operation and cross-training) - Auto Start Up enables lasers to automatically turn on and fluidics to pressurize (time savings) - Bead-less drop delay determination and monitoring (fewer foreign particles in the fluid line that carries the sample) - Single button Auto QC with enhanced troubleshooting guidance - Sort chamber free of hard edges designed for aerosol containment and cleanability - Aerosol Evacuation System (AES) pulling particulates from three (3) chambers with verified performance to meet the ISAC guidelines - SmartSampler sample tube input from 0.5ml to 50ml with optional temperature control (largest sample input range) - Quick Release nozzle design for easy access to nozzle tip - Electronic capability to simultaneously detect 32 parameters (32 bit processing and 100 MHz sampling speeds); Zero electronic dead time equates to no hard aborts. - Only sorter capable of >70,000 sort decisions/second validated performance - >100,000 acquisition rate/second validated performance - Mixed Mode sorting: only sorter where each sort stream is capable of having its own sort mode (Enrich, Purify, Single) programmed. Soft aborts and waste can be collected for resorting as well. - Index sorting with intuitive mapping of events - Sort collection devices (easily cleanable, static dissipative material; optional temperature control) - Temperature control output for both tubes and plates/slides - Only sorter to reproducibly sort into 1536-well plates (due to historically stable fluidics) - 5-decade dynamic range PMTs with 9-log software interpolation - FSC and SSC off each wavelength ?405nm - Height, Area, Width, Log, Log Area collected simultaneously for all parameters - Describes regions mathematically at the full resolution of the parameter - 1 billion events .fcs files with no parameter limit - Fully tested to NSF-49 and other International Standards for Biosafety Level II cabinet integration - Include one year warranty-coverage includes parts, labor, and telephone support. - Vendor to provide four day training to two key operators for the Astrios. This notice is not a request for competitive quotation. However, if any interested party, especially small business believes it can meet the above requirement, it may submit a proposal or quote for the Government to consider. The response and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NCI to determine if the party can perform the requirement. Responses must be received in the contracting office by 11 AM EST, on December 24, 2013. All responses and questions must be in writing and faxed to 240-276-5399 or emailed to Reyes Rodriguez, Contracting Specialist via electronic mail at reyes.rodriguez@nih.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No collect calls will be accepted. In order to receive an award, contractors must be registered and have valid certification in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and the Online Representations and Certifications Applications (ORCA) through sam.gov. Reference: N02RC44102-57 on all correspondence.