SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Development and Maintenance of a Long-Term Colony of Mutant Mouse Lines
- Notice Date
- 10/15/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Mental Health, Contracts Management Branch, 6001 Executive Blvd, Rm 8154, MSC 9661, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-9661
- ZIP Code
- 20892-9661
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-NIH-NIDA(AG)-RFP-11-149
- Point of Contact
- Craig D. Sager, Phone: 301-443-1193
- E-Mail Address
-
csager@mail.nih.gov
(csager@mail.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Development and Maintenance of a Long-Term Colony of Mutant Mouse Lines RFP No. HHS-NIH-NIDA(AG)-RFP-11-149 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. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541712. BACKGROUND The objective is to develop, maintain and distribute a standing colony of aged mutant mice of defined genotypes, including genetically engineered and spontaneously arising mutations, for use by investigators in studies of aging. The word ‘mutant' is used here to refer to transgenic, knockout and spontaneously arising mutant genotypes. This colony is to be developed and maintained within controlled and defined barrier environments where animals are monitored and characterized for disease status and markers of genetic purity. Each line of mice will be characterized for the specific mutation and control animals will be provided for some lines where needed. This contract will replace the existing colony developed under contract N01-AG-4-0009. Specifically, the Contractor shall develop, maintain and distribute a standing colony of aged mice of NIA-specified genotypes for use by investigators in studies of aging. The expected duration of this contract is eleven years. Four lines were obtained and it is estimated that between 300 and 600 mice per year will be entered into the aging colony for each line. • Ames Dwarf • Snell Dwarf • C57BL/6-tg (UBC-GFP)30Scha/J • B6;C3H-Tg (Prnp-SNCA)M83/Vle Tac Animals shall continue to be entered into the colony and animals shall be distributed to investigators, such that young animals enter the colony at approximately the same rate as older animals leave the colony due to distribution and normal attrition. The final two year period of the contract will serve as the colony close-out period. Animals shall be maintained and disbursed, but entry of animals shall cease at the end of year 9 or when entries begin in a renewal contract colony. Thus the population will decline over the final two years of the contract to a point of few animals at the end of year 11. The colony shall be maintained behind two independent barriers, specific pathogen- and parasite- free, for the entire contract period. The two barriers do not need to be geographically separated. Both barriers shall specifically be helicobacter-negative. The purpose of colony division is to insure the survival of at least one half of the colony in the event of pathologic breach of a barrier, genetic contamination, mechanical failure of environmental maintenance systems, or accidental disaster such as fire, or flood. Total independence of colony segments therefore means separation of buildings, power systems and back-up systems, environmental controls (heat, air conditioning, and air filtration) and breeding stock. Each barrier shall have an independent back-up generator and alarm system in case of loss of power. Each colony segment shall be maintained solely within its barrier facility without intermingling. Environmental requirements to protect the colony from contamination prevent the transfer of the colony to a new contractor. As it would take 2-3 years to restart the colony from the beginning, re-deriving new foundation stock and building up the breeding colony to sufficient size to provide the requisite entry levels into the restricted colony, an offeror must detail a similar colony available for NIA utilization. More specifically, the Contractor shall perform the following: I. Supply of the Mouse Genotype A. The Contractor shall acquire the genotypes specified by the Project Officer and shall provide to the Project Officer documentation of the re-derivation and genetic history of each of these genotypes which serve as the progenitors for the mice in the aging colony. All animals obtained for this contract and produced under this contract, including all breeding mice and all mice entered into the aging colonies, shall be the property of the Government. Acquisition of lines for this contract colony does not confer any rights to the Contractor to commercialize the lines. The Contractor shall not commercialize any lines of mice acquired for or under this contract. II Environmental Requirements A. Mating, isolation, and primary enclosures shall meet or exceed minimum floor space requirements per mouse, and population size per cage as stated in the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals" (http://www.nap.edu/books/0309053773/html/index.html). All primary enclosures and bedding type shall require the prior approval of the Project Officer. Mating cages shall be numbered consecutively. B. The Contractor shall provide discrete production space within the barriers for the breeding and aging colonies. The barrier systems or isolation rooms shall be constructed and operated to effectively exclude pathogens, ecto-, endo-parasites as well as vermin. III. Breeding Colony The foundation animals for each breeding colony shall be re-derived by cesarean section or embryo transfer, shall be entered from isolators into the barrier system without contamination by pathogens or parasites, and shall be maintained as such. The Contractor shall provide discrete space within the rederivation area for the lines and shall not house other animals within the isolators other than this contract's mice and their foster mothers. Breeding and maintenance of commercial colonies of mice and rats is permissible within the barrier rooms housing the NIA colonies, but activities such as surgery or euthanasia are not permissible within the same rooms as the NIA colonies. IV. Maintenance of the Aging Colony Mice shall be weaned at approximately 3 to 4 weeks of age and shall be group housed in the aging colony with a maximum of 5 mice per cage. Generally, same sex littermates will be housed together or same sex non-littermates of the same line of mice and born within a week of each other may be housed together. Specific housing protocols may be specified by the Project Officer, such as for dwarf mutant mice that require wild-type mice in the cage in order to maintain body temperature. All offspring from the breeding colony shall be entered into the aging colony unless otherwise specified by the Project Officer. V. Colony Evaluation, Characterization and Monitoring All spontaneous deaths in the colony shall be reported by strain, sex, barrier and age in the semiannual progress reports and on the weekly census report. Necropsies shall not be performed on mice unless there is an unusual pattern of animal deaths or upon the direction of the Project Officer. Postmortem findings in such cases shall be tabulated, summarized, and provided to the Project Officer within sixty (60) calendar days of the date the animals were sent for evaluation. Primary and secondary lesions possibly attributable to cause of death are to be described. Differences in mortality between lines shall be identified and reported in the semiannual progress report. B. Routine monitoring for disease and post mortem examinations is to be performed by either an independent laboratory approved by the Project Officer or the Contractor if Contractor plans, personnel and facilities are approved by the Project Officer. Numbers of each genotype, sex and barrier submitted for monitoring shall be determined by the Project Officer. Up to fifty (50) mice total shall be submitted for routine health monitoring each quarter unless otherwise specified by the Project Officer. Specimens from the colonies of mice used to generate foster mothers shall also be submitted for health monitoring each quarter. C The Contractor shall provide for positive assurance of genetic quality control, by micro-satellite testing of a sample of the breeding colonies to detect genetic contamination. VI. Shipment of Animals to Investigators Animals from the aging mouse colony shall be distributed to investigators or laboratories only as specified by the Project Officer or the designated representative of the Project Officer. A copy of the most recent Health Evaluation Summary for the animals, prepared under V.B. above, and a copy of the genotyping results for the animals shall be sent with each order. VII. Cost of Animals to Investigators Mice produced under this contract shall be made available to investigators under conditions as stated herein or as otherwise specified by the Project Officer. The cost of each mouse to the investigators, a basic acquisition cost plus a maintenance charge determined by age of mouse, shall be determined by the Project Officer. Initial costs are expected to be $20.00 plus $5.00 per month of age, per mouse. These costs will be subject to annual adjustment. The consignee is also responsible for all shipping costs. Total cost (as charged to the consignee) of animals (acquisition, maintenance, crate and shipping) which are not useable when received by the consignee due to negligence on the part of the contractor or subcontractors, shall be borne by the Contractor and are not chargeable to the Government. Respondents to this notice must provide, as part of their responses, a capability statement to include the following: (1) information regarding the respondents' (a) staff expertise, including their availability, experience, background with existing standing colonies of aged, genetically defined F344 rates for use by investigators in studies of aging, and formal and other training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work, including access to the identified F344 rat colony; (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; (2) respondents' 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, (3) any other information that may be helpful. Respondents must send two original copies via mail and one electronic copy via email; (4) responses should be received no later than October 29, 2010 at 2:00 PM Local Time; (5) include respondents' technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses; and (6) send responses to this notice via email to csager@mail.nih.gov The original statements mailed using the U.S. Postal Service should be sent to ATTN: Craig Sager, National Institutes of Health, Office of Acquisitions - NIDA Neuroscience COAC, NIA R&D Contracts Management Section, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8154, MSC 9661, Bethesda, MD 20892-9661. If using a courier service such as the UPS, Federal Express, etc., change the City, State and Zip Code to Rockville, MD 20852. (Please be aware that the U.S. Postal Service's "Express Mail" DOES NOT deliver to the Rockville, Maryland address.) This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract. 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. 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). Contracting Office Address: Contracts Management Branch 6001 Executive Blvd, Rm 8154, MSC 9661 Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9661 Primary Point of Contact.: Craig Sager, Contracting Officer csager@mail.nih.gov Phone: (301) 443-1193 Fax: (301) 443-0501
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