SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- An Integrated Approach to Understanding Host-Pathogen Interactions
- Notice Date
- 12/21/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541711
— Research and Development in Biotechnology
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Office of Acquisitions, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland, 20852
- ZIP Code
- 20852
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIAID(AI)-SBSS-10-100
- Archive Date
- 1/14/2011
- Point of Contact
- George W Kennedy, Phone: (301) 451-2607
- E-Mail Address
-
kennedyg@mail.nih.gov
(kennedyg@mail.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Introduction 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. Background The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) supports research related to the basic understanding of microbiology and immunology leading to the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and medical diagnostics for the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of infectious and immune-mediated diseases. The NIAID, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, has a requirement to establish multi-disciplinary centers that focus on understanding at a molecular level the host-pathogen interaction using a systems biology approach. Purpose and Objectives The primary goal of the activities carried out under this contract will be to investigate and identify the metabolic, regulatory, signaling, and other biological pathways generated by host-pathogen molecular interactions to help explain and predict clinical manifestations of infectious diseases, host responses, disease progression, and outcomes. Studies will focus on persistent or recurrent infections with well-defined, highly-specific phenotypes. Examples of such infections include, for example, tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis, histoplasmosis, and infections caused by cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes virus, Salmonella spp., Group A streptococci, and Chlamydia trachomatis. Although a systems biology approach could be used to investigate complex biological events, such as cell behavior or microbial communities, the focus of this contract is only on molecular cellular events of the interaction of the pathogen and the host, such as those involved in the biological, biochemical and biophysical processes of microbial organisms or in pathogenesis and disease progression in humans. Project Requirements Each multi-disciplinary center, composed of teams of investigators with a wide breadth of skills and scientific and technical expertise, will carry out these investigations through one or more Research Projects. The research findings of such projects should have the potential to be applicable or relevant to a variety of pathogenic organisms, which may help to identify common molecular mechanisms that cause persistent and recurrent infections and should lead to a better understanding of the biological, biochemical and biophysical processes of host-pathogen interaction or of the initiation and progression of infectious diseases in humans. Examples of Research Projects include: • predict, identify and quantify changes in expression of the transcriptome or proteome of both the host and the microbial organism in a human macrophage culture model during various stages of persistent and recurrent infection of the host. • predict, identify and quantify the transcriptional, regulatory and metabolic response of the host's immune response system in various stages of persistent and recurrent infection. • develop models that predict metabolic and regulatory networks that will facilitate the identification of genes that may be coding for virulence determinants and contribute towards the progression of persistent and recurrent infection and disease in different host cells; verify experimentally. • apply transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics profiling to assay the network state of infected host cell cultures; develop a predictive model and validate in infected human tissue for persistent or chronic infections. Research Projects conducted under this contract should employ a combination of innovative, experimental systems biology approaches, including high-throughput "omics" technologies, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, glycomics or lipidomics. Rigorous novel algorithms and analytical methods, including bioinformatics should also be included. It is expected that integrated data sets will be used to build mathematical models of host-pathogen interactions that can be validated by experimental approaches, explaining the molecular basis of clinical manifestations of infectious diseases, including severity and response to treatment and vaccines. Furthermore, results obtained from these studies should identify novel, unique, as well as common molecular signatures that may represent future targets for intervention and could aid in the identification of emerging pathogens and in the development of drugs, immunotherapies, vaccines and diagnostics for prevention and treatment of diseases caused by potential agents of bioterrorism and emerging/reemerging infectious diseases. NOTE 1: This contract is NOT for studies on HIV/AIDS. NOTE 2: This contract is NOT for studies that focus exclusively on the molecular interaction networks of the microbe with no consideration of those in the host cells, and vice versa. Examples include: • analysis of the microbial response to infection in absence of the host response to infection; • analysis of host response to infection in the absence of microbial pathogenesis studies; • analysis of the host control of expression and signaling through innate immune receptors without focus of host-pathogen interaction; • dissection of the molecules and pathways involved in the regulation of the adaptive immune system without focus of the host-pathogen interaction; and • studies of host pathways that regulate antibody production to pathogens. NOTE 3: This contract will not cover costs associated with human sample collection. Anticipated Period of Performance It is anticipated that a level of effort type contract will be awarded, with a base period of performance of 12 months, beginning approximately February 1, 2012. The base effort required will be 13 full time equivalents (FTE's) per year for the base period of performance (Year 1), and each of the 12 month option periods (Years 2 through 5). The Government anticipates the 13 FTE's to be comprised of the following: - Two (2) Senior FTE's (PI/co-PIs/Project Director/Project Manager); and - Eleven (11) FTE's (Post-docs/Technical staff/Bioinformatics Professionals and Software Engineers). In addition, during each contract year, the Government may exercise options for incremental increases in the level of effort by up to three (3) FTE's in postdoctoral, technical, bioinformatics professional/software engineering staff, to respond to emerging needs related to the proposed research. Capability Statement/ Information Sought Capability statements submitted as a result of this announcement should demonstrate potential sources' qualifications and experience, specifically providing evidence as to their capability to perform this requirement, with particular attention to the following: The ability to provide the anticipated level of effort required. The ability to establish and maintain a multidisciplinary program that utilizes a systems biology approach to analyze, identify, quantify, model and predict the overall dynamics of the network of cellular molecular components of microbial organisms and their interaction with the host cell, with an emphasis on host-pathogen interactions and persistent and recurrent infections. The ability to ensure that all contract-generated resources, including research reagents data sets, models, bioinformatics and computational tools are publicly available and easily accessible to the scientific community. The ability to organize and/or manage a scientific working group. The ability to provide a technical and administrative management infrastructure to ensure the efficient planning, implementation, oversight, and completion of all research projects. Past Performance is considered essential. In addition to demonstrating the above qualifications, interested parties should identify experience relative to other projects of similar size and complexity. Each response should include the following Business Information: • DUNS. • Company Name. • Company Address. • Company Point of Contact, Phone, and Email address • Current GSA Schedules appropriate to this Sources Sought. • Whether the organization has a Government approved accounting system, and if so, the agency that approved the system. • Company size and type (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, veteran owned, etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code, as validated via the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). All offerors must register on the CCR located at http://www.ccr.gov/index.asp. Capability Statements should clearly convey information regarding the respondents capabilities, including: (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 content of the capability statements shall be limited to five pages, excluding resumes, describing the company's experience and ability to perform this effort which includes the following: (1) a summary list of similar work previously performed or being performed; (2) the professional qualifications and specific experience of staff who may be assigned to the requirement; (3) the capability to provide the required level of effort on a continuing and emerging needs basis; (4) resumes for proposed key personnel, which reflect education, and previous work relevant to the proposed requirement; (5) a general description of the facilities and other resources needed to perform the work; and (6) demonstrated ability to carry out the work. Capability statements may be submitted by e-mail or paper copy to George Kennedy, Contract Specialist, at the address provided below. Electronic submissions should be submitted in PDF format. In the subject line, please reference: HHS-NIH-NIAID(AI)-SBSS-10-100. A paper copy can be sent via regular mail at the address provided below. If sending a paper copy, please send an original and one copy. George Kennedy Contract Specialist Office of Acquisitions National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health 6700 B Rockledge Drive, Room 3153, MSC 7612 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7612 Responses must be submitted no later than 12:00 PM, EST 12/30/2010. Please reference the solicitation number on all related correspondence. No collect calls will be accepted. Facsimile and e-mail transmissions will be accepted. 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 pre-solicitation 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). The Government will not entertain questions regarding this Market Research; however, general questions may be e-mailed to the following address: George Kennedy Contract Specialist kennedyg@mail.nih.gov 301-451-2607
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