SMARTScribe Reverse Transcriptase and SeqAmp DNA Kits

Sources Sought Announcement

Title: mRNA and cDNA Reagent Kits

ID: SS-NIAID-24-2215685

Post Date:  April 30, 2024

Response Date: May 10, 2024

NAICS: 325414

Introduction

This is a Sources Sought Notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement.

Background, Purpose, Objectives

The Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was established to facilitate research in vaccine development. The VRC Virology Laboratory comprises the Virology, Humoral Immunology, and Structural Biology Sections and related Cores. The goal of the Vaccine Immunology Laboratory is to conduct research to understand better the cellular and molecular regulation of viral gene expression, viral entry into the host cell, optimization of immune responses to gene-based vaccination and correlates of immune protection, assessment of active and passive approaches for HIV-1 vaccine development, and to apply structural biology techniques toward rational vaccine design for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

The Vaccine Research Center is developing vaccines for HIV-1 and other viruses.  Currently, SBS/SBIS is working on developing vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. Production of wild-type and mutant viral proteins and anti-viral antibodies is critical in vaccine development. Making specific immunogens as probes is critical to isolate antibodies and develop therapeutic agents in the Covid19 treatment.

The Virology Laboratory is interested in procuring the following biological supplies:

These reagents are used in cutting-edge techniques and technologies that are utilized in this project, including Illumina’s state-of-the-art NextSeq 1000 and NextSeq 2000 sequencing instruments. Only reagents and consumables specified for these platforms should be applied for optimal results, and Illumina’s sequencing protocols specify use of Takara Bio’s reagents. Takara Bio’s SMARTScribe™

Reverse Transcriptase kit contains a high-performance enzyme that performs unbiased cDNA synthesis, allowing for amplification and library construction from any RNA transcript. SMARTScribe Reverse Transcriptase is a modified Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase that synthesizes full-length cDNA from rare or long transcripts. SMARTScribe RT preparations are exceptionally pure, with all contaminating nucleases removed.

Takara Bio’s SeqAmp™ DNA Polymerase is a high-fidelity PCR enzyme that is specially formulated for next-generation sequencing and transcriptome analysis. The specificity of this enzyme is especially critical for analysis of the highly variable sequence regions of B cells, which is what is being analyzed in this project.

Project Requirements

Successful offerors must have the knowledge, skill, ability, and resources to reliably provide a brand name or equal to SMARTScribe Reverse Transcriptase Kits and SeqAmp DNA reactions kits. Note, these kits must be compatible with Illumina’s NextSeq 1000 & 2000 systems.  Minimum requirements of these types of mRNA and cDNA Syntheses Kits to be used on these NextSeq systems can be found at https://www.takarabio.com/products/mrna-and-cdna-synthesis

SMARTScribe Reverse Transcriptase is a modified Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase that synthesizes full-length cDNA from rare or long transcripts. SMARTScribe RT preparations are exceptionally pure, with all contaminating nucleases removed. SeqAmp DNA Polymerase is a high fidelity PCR enzyme with hot start capabilities that is especially well-suited for use with specific SMARTer kits for transcriptome analysis (NGS). This optimized PCR enzyme DNA Polymerase is a component necessary for the SMARTer Stranded RNA-Seq Kit to perform optimally. 

The Government anticipates awarding a firm fixed price purchase order, after solicitation for this requirement.

Date of Delivery:  30 days from ARO

Place of Delivery

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Capability Statement/Information Sought

All capable vendors should respond with a brief capability statement by May 10, 2024 at 10:00 AM EST. The capability statement must include the ability to provide the required brand name or equal products, as per specifications, and that are compatible with the NextSeq 1000 and 2000  Systems. Capability statement must include place of manufacturer as per Executive Order 14005-Ensuring the Future Is Made in All of America by All of America's Workers. “Buy America” or “Buy American,” that require, or provide a preference for, the purchase or acquisition of goods, products, or materials produced in the United States, including iron, steel, and manufactured goods offered in the United States”.

If your organization has the potential capacity to support this requirement, please provide the following information: 1) organization name, address, point of contact, email address, website address, telephone number, UEI number and size and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) respondents shall indicate if they are the manufacturer or the distributor of mRNA and cDNA Syntheses Kits and shall include basic information on product specifications. If an equal product is recommended (not specific to the brand proposed) then sufficient details shall be provided by the respondent describing how the equal product being recommended, meets the minimum specifications of the requirement.

Capability statements should also include documentation indicating that offerors business size as determined by the Small Business Administration’s Table of Size Standards located at: (https://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-size-standards) for NAICS 325414. This SBA size standard is currently 1250 employees but is subject to change. Prospective offerors may also note whether they meet any other socio-economic business categories such as 8(a), Hub-Zone, or Service-Disabled Veteran when submitting their capability statement.

Submission Instructions

Interested businesses who consider themselves qualified to provide the above-listed items are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by May 7, 2024 at 10:00 AM EST. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted via the NIAID electronic Simplified Acquisition Submission System (eSASS) website at https://esass.nih.gov. All vendors must register in the eSASS system to submit their documentation. Instructions on how to register /submit documents are included on the website. All responses received by the closing date of this synopsis will be considered by the Government.

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).