REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - DEUTERIUM OXIDE

The USDA ARS - WBSC requests information and quotes to attain Reagents as listed & described below in support of USDA ARS, Western Health Nutrition Research Center (WHNRC), 430 West Health Sciences Drive, Davis, CA. 1. 64 Units of Deuterium Oxide, 99.8 Atom % D - 1kg (at minimum 98% pure.) 2. The Contractor must have the required licenses & permits to ship to: a. Bangladesh (People's Republic of Bangladesh) International Center for Diarrheal Disease Attn: Dr. Munirul Islam Scientist, Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, & Senior Consultant Physician, Dhaka Hospital Icddr,B 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212 Bangladesh Phone No: +880 2 9827 001-10; EXT. 2352 Fax: +880 2 9827 101 Skype: M.Munir.Islam WEB: WWW.ICDDRB.ORG b. The Gambia (Republic of The Gambia) MRC Unit, The Gambia Atlantic Blvd. Faaraja PO Box 723, Banjul The Gambia c. Brazil Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro De Janeiro Federal University Instituto de Nutricao Josue de Castro/Nutrition Institute Departmento de Nutircao Social e Aplicado Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 - Bloco j2- Sala 29 Cidade Universitaria - Rio de Janeiro/RJ- 21941-590 gilberto.kae@gmail.com Deuterium Oxide, 99.8 Atom % D - 1kg: Deuterium Oxide or Deuterated Water (DW) is approved for human consumption and recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for breast milk volume measurement. The quality and purity must be proven to be appropriate for human consumption. In the Mothers' Infants and Lactation Study (MILQ Study), lactating mothers are given 30mL of the DW to drink and once ingested, it will transfer to the infant through the breast milk; therefore, the safety of the DW is of utmost importance. DW must be safe for human consumption and at minimum 98% pure. The Contractor must have the expertise and the required export licenses & EU permits to ship/import chemicals directly to Bangladesh, Brazil and The Gambia as required for USDA ARS, WHNRC research. Unfortunately, USDA ARS cannot acquire these permits, since we are not a chemical company. USDA ARS, WHNRC's Mothers' Infants and Lactation Quality study's success is dependent on accurate measurement of the breast milk volume which requires administration of quality Deuterated Water (DW) to the study participants. The award date will be on or about April 24, 2018; and this Notice of Intent is not considered as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) nor is it a Request for Proposals (RFP). No solicitation document is available and telephone requests will not be honored. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. A determination, by the Government, to compete this proposed PO based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The Government will consider all responses received by 9:30AM PST, April 18, 2018. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Inquiries will only be accepted via email to the Primary Point of Contact: isabel.alvarado@ars.usda.gov.