Scientific and Clinical Support Services

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTIFICATION # 75N98023Q00007 SCIENTIFIC AND CLINICAL SUPPORT SERVICES Description This is a notice issued on behalf of the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), by the Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations (OLAO), Office of Acquisitions, NIH, DHHS, UNITED STATES. This is a Small Business Sources Sought Notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. There is no solicitation available at this time. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding : (1) the availability and capability of all qualified small business sources who provide Scientific and Clinical Support Services; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your response to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology). Attached to this Sources Sought notification is a draft Statement of Work (SOW) that describes the requirement in more detail. Background The objective is to provide scientific services and deliverables through performance of a Research Scientist. The Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory (NNRL) of the National Eye Institute (NEI), is defining the fundamental biological pathways that guide differentiation of retinal neurons, such as photoreceptors and ganglion cells. They are elucidating the genetic and biological defects associated with aging, and evaluating gene- and cell-based treatments using both classical (e.g. mouse) and novel (e.g. non-model vertebrates, stem cell organoids) models. The Contractor shall: Conduct research studies on the effects of retinopathy-associated mutations in neural retina leucine zipper zipper (NRL) protein using human retinal organoids as a model system. Differentiate NRL-L75Pfs patient iPSCs, obtained by N-NRL, into retinal organoids for use as a model of a human retina lacking NRL function to express NRL mutant proteins from AAV vectors. Illustrate how to characterize effects of retinitis pigmentosa-associated patient NRL mutations on gene expression profiles using bulk RNA sequencing and using fluorescent microscopy determine presence of rod-specific proteins and cellular morphology Examine levels of expressed NRL isoforms and important rod-specific proteins using immunoblotting Responses must reference Sources Sought # 75N98023Q00007 AND include the following: (1) Name and Address of the vendor (2) Size and type of business (3) Point of contact with name, title, phone, fax and email (4) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number (5) Vendor's capability statement (no more than 5 pages) addressing the draft Statement of work (6) List of organizations (no more than 3) to whom the same or similar types of services have been previously provided to include contract/order number, short description dollar value, name, and the phone number/email address of the Contracting Officer/Buyer and/or Customer. ALL INFORMATION SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE OF Monday November 28, 2022, at 4 PM EST. Please submit Capability Statements through email. All questions and/or comments must be in writing and emailed to Maya J. Joseph (maya.joseph@nih.gov). Comments and questions will NOT be answered but will assist in creating a solicitation for this requirement.