SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Plasma Peptide/Protein Identification
- Notice Date
- 1/23/2008
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541380
— Testing Laboratories
- Contracting Office
- RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01) Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
- ZIP Code
- 27711
- Solicitation Number
- PR-NC-08-10172
- Response Due
- 2/12/2008
- Archive Date
- 3/13/2008
- Point of Contact
- JENNIFER B. HILL, Contract Specialist, Phone: 919-541-3083, E-Mail: hill.jennifer@epa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to JENNIFER B. HILL
(hill.jennifer@epa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL SERVICES PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The solicitation number is PR-NC-08-10172, and the solicitation is being issued as a full and open competition Request for Quotation (RFQ)using FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 05-23. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541380, which has a size standard of $11.0 to qualify as a small business, is applicable. A firm fixed-price contract is anticipated to result from the award of this solicitation. This procurement is for Plasma Peptide or Protein Identification Services. BACKGROUND. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) Gulf Ecology Division is developing protein biomarker techniques to detect adverse effects in aquatic animals, and applying such biomarkers to screen chemicals for mode of action (MOA) specific effects. To accomplish this, fish are exposed to a model compound(s) representative of a specific MOA, such as estrogenic activity, and a comparison is made between plasma (or other tissue) protein expression of control fish and treated fish. Tissue/plasma protein biomarkers of a specific MOA are discovered using either low resolution surface-enhanced-laser-desorption-ionization mass spectrometry (SELDI) or matrix-assisted-laser-desorption-ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI). These two types of mass spectrometry provide protein/peptide molecular mass and relative abundance information, but do not necessarily provide protein/peptide identification. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this contract is to secure services to provide identification and/or amino acid sequences of peptide/protein biomarker candidates which have been targeted from protein expression profiles generated using a Ciphergen ProteinChip instrument (in either SELDI or MALDI mode). The contractor shall provide all personnel, facilities, equipment, tools, materials, vehicles, transportation, supervision and services necessary for the identification of target tissue/plasma peptides/proteins of interest in samples (primarily from fish) supplied by the government. TASK DESCRIPTION. The services to be provided by the contractor are all procedures needed to identify target peptides/proteins in gel, tissue or solution samples provided by the EPA. Proteins/peptides shall be identified using the best method(s) available such as peptide mass fingerprinting, sequenced using tandem mass spectrometry, De Novo sequencing, or other methods. Sample preparation, data quality control procedures and other services needed for protein identification shall be included. Such services may include total protein quantitation, sample preparation and cleanup (can include concentration, albumin depletion, ultracentrifugation, sonication, dialysis, protein precipitation or other), gel electrophoresis (may include running, staining, imaging, excising and extracting 1 or 2D gels, or other), gel analysis (may include post-staining, imaging and spot selection, or other), trypsin digestion (may include reduction, alkylation, or other), mass spectrometry and analysis (can include MALDI-MS and MALDI-MS/MS, LC-MS and LC-MS/MS, or other), spectrum, bioinformatics and database searching. A minimum of five (5) and a maximum of fifty (50) peptides or proteins will be provided to the contractor for identification. Tissue/plasma samples provided by EPA to the contractor will be from animal species, predominately fish. No samples of human origin will be submitted by EPA. The period of performance for this contract shall be from the date of award until 2/28/2009. QUALITY ASSURANCE / QUALITY CONTROL ? Contractor shall have a QA/QC program in place to assess the quality of the protein identification data. EPA requires that recipients of funds for work involving environmental data comply with the American National Standard ANSI/ASQC E4-1994, "Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs." Information concerning quality specifications for non-EPA organizations is available at http://www.epa.gov/quality/exmural.html. The protein identity data in the final report must meet the QA/QC requirements of the ANSI/ASQC E4 document, and should be suitable for publishing in a peer-reviewed journal. EPA AND CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES. EPA ? The EPA will provide the contractor with plasma/tissue samples which contain the target protein biomarkers for protein identification. The EPA will also provide molecular mass information and SELDI-MS and/or MALDI-MS experimental conditions used for the EPA?s low resolution MS analysis of the protein biomarkers supplied for identification. Contractor - The contractor shall provide all services, supplies, equipment and facilities necessary to provide the deliverables in this Statement of Work. DELIVERABLES. 1. A teleconference presentation of the proposed work by the Contractor with EPA staff. EPA staff and the Contractor shall discuss all detailed aspects of the project too complex to provide herein. The Contractor shall make written recommendations for a) target protein sample cleanup/concentration; b) mass spectral analysis; and c) appropriate bioinformatics and data analyses. The EPA staff shall evaluate and approve the proposed work of the Contractor. This Contractor activity shall be completed within 60 calendar days of receipt of EPA-provided samples. 2. A second teleconference presentation to EPA staff of the results following the completion of sample and data analysis. The Contractor shall provide a report which details the results and interpretation presented. This contractor activity shall be completed within 180 calendar days after the samples are received by the contractor. 3. A final report that characterizes and defines the protein identities, and discusses the methods and QA measures used shall be provided by the contractor. A printed copy and electronic version in Microsoft Word of the report, and electronic versions of the instrumental analyses shall be provided within 8 calendar months after the receipt of samples from the EPA. The report shall be reviewed by EPA scientists and, if the report does not adequately address the requirements of this statement of work, shall be returned to the contractor within 30 calendar days of receipt. Specific topics requiring additional clarification shall be noted. The contractor shall provide a final report within 30 calendar days from receipt of the marked-up report. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: 52-212-1, Instructions to Offerors?Commercial Items; 52.212-2, Evaluation--Commercial Items. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 are as follows: A. TECHNICAL CRITERIA 1. Technical Approach - Demonstrate the ability in identifying peptides or proteins in plasma/tissue samples and understanding of the objectives of the statement of work. Technical approach will be evaluated based on the extent to which the offeror concisely and accurately discusses the nature of the services being requested as measured by the following which are considered of equal importance: A. Understanding of the technical requirements of the proposed contract. B. Detailed approach to provide for the technical aspects of the required service. 2. Personnel Qualifications - Demonstrated availability, amount and relevance of technical experience and education. 3. Demonstrated evidence of publications of peptide and protein identification in peer-reviewed publications. 4. Quality Assurance/Quality Control(QA/QC) - Demonstrated QA/QC program to assess the quality of the protein identification data. 5. Demonstrated evidence of a records management program. B. PAST PERFORMANCE: Submit a list of 3 customers for whom like or similar services have been performed. Include specific points of contact and phone numbers. Past Performance will be evaluated on 1) quality of service; 2) timeliness of performance (ability of adhere to deadlines); and 3) overall customer satisfaction. C. PRICE. The Government intends to award a single contract to the responsible offeror whose technically acceptable quotation represents the best overall value to the Government based on the evaluation of the technical criteria, past performance, and price. Only those offerors submitting technically acceptable quotations shall be considered for award. For the purpose of this best value evaluation of technically acceptable proposals, technical criteria and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price. The government will make award to the responsible offeror(s) whose offer conforms to the solicitation and is the best value to the government. All offerors are to include with their offers a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications--Commercial Items. The following FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items; 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders--Commercial Items and the following additional FAR clauses which are cited in Clause 52.212-5: 52.222-3 Convict Labor; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons; 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52-232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration. All technical questions are to be forwarded via email to the Contracting Officer at the following email address: hill.jennifer@epa.gov. Offerors should review the Statement of Work and other information posted with this Request for Quotation on EPA's website at the following address: http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. Click on the CURRENT SOLICITATIONS section and click on the solicitation for viewing applicable documents. Near the top of the page COMMERCIAL BUY CLAUSES AND FORMS sections are provided for your convenience. Please submit two copies each of the technical proposal and price proposal to Jennifer B. Hill, Contracting Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 if using the US Postal Service. Courier delivery address is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Attn: Jennifer B. Hill, RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01), 4930 Old Page Road, Durham, NC 27703. All offers are due by February 12, 2008, 12:00 p.m., ET. No telephonic or faxed responses will be honored.
- Web Link
-
The Environmental Protection Agency
(http://www.epa.gov/oam/solam.htm)
- Record
- SN01491226-W 20080125/080123224954 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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