3D STED Microscope
Federal Business Opportunities (FBO)
SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
Solicitation Number: NIH-NINDS-SBSS-19-007299
Title: 3D STED Microscope
Classification Code: 66 - Instruments and Laboratory Equipment
NAICS Code: 334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
Description:
This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (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 relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. 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 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.
Background:
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) requires a 3D stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscope to resolve nanometer range movement of proteins and membranes.
Project requirements:
• 3D STED Microscope shall have the resolution of (in XY scanning, Dual channel, bi-directional, size 20um x1.5um, 15nm pixel size, < 60ms per frame), spatial resolution (80x80x90 nm in 3D and 25x25 nm in 2D).
• The system shall be equipped with adaptive illumination schemes (RESCue, DyMIN, MINFIELD).
• The STED system shall have photon-efficient imaging mode that reduces the light dose on cell samples without compromising the resolution. This reduces photobleaching and other damaging photophysics effects and is thus optimal for live cell applications.
• The equipment shall have the capability of reducing the laser irradiation dose by orders of magnitude through automatic adjustment of the laser intensity, enabling live cell imaging with reduced photo toxicity induced by STED laser radiation.
• The equipment shall allow local imaging of structures in small fields-of-view, the irradiation dose in this small imaging area can be dramatically reduced to zero, allowing resolutions on the order of 20nm.
• The equipment shall have a 3D-module for the use of arbitrary objective lenses together with 3D-STED and thereby allowing for focusing depths of up to 100 µm in water immersion for live cell applications.
• The systems autofocus shall works continuously with all STED lasers, enabling long-term measurements of the dynamics of changing specimen.
• Shall have multi-color imaging: six-color confocal microscope (405nm (cw), 455nm (pulsed), 512nm (pulsed), 532nm (pulsed), 595nm (pulsed), 640nm(pulsed).
• Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) upgrade combination with STED.
• Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) data processing.
• The equipment shall be upgradable, customizable, modular for future upgrades or modifications made available by the manufacturer.
Delivery:
10 weeks ARO to NIH in Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
The capability statement should include 1) the total number of employees, 2) documentation of ability to provide the required support, 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 such as:
• respondents' opinions about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement or proposed acquisition, possible solutions and approaches that may currently exist in the marketplace, and information regarding innovative ideas or concepts;
• information regarding respondents': (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capability; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information;
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 must be in and 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 Specialists and Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are NOT accepted.
All capability statements sent in response to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted to Sneha Singh, Contracting Officer, via email at sneha.singh@nih.gov before the closing date and time of this announcement. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered.
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)."
Sneha V Singh, Contracting Officer, Phone 3014802443, Email sneha.singh@nih.gov
