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This is a Notice of Intent, not a request for proposal. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to negotiate on an other than full and open competition basis with Mad City Labs Inc., 2524 Todd Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53713, for a quantity of two (2) RM21 advanced microscopes and their accompanying upgrades & accessories. The RM21 microscope is an inverted optical microscope with a fixed objective lens position capable of supporting epi-fluorescence, Highly Inclined and Laminated Optical (HILO), and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. It has the capability to supporting multi-color Colocalization Single Molecule Spectroscopy (CoSMoS), and supper-resolution microscopy with other light microscopy applications.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)’s Laboratory of Viral Diseases (LVD) (collectively “Program”) studies the basic mechanisms of viral entry into cells, regulation of viral gene expression, viral DNA replication, assembly and transport of viral proteins and particles, viral virulence, and humoral and cellular immunity. Applied research includes development of recombinant expression vectors, candidate vaccines, and antiviral agents. DNA and RNA viruses are studied, including HIV, poxviruses, papillomaviruses, coronaviruses, and influenza. At this time the lab is engaged in research that focuses on uncovering fundamental molecular mechanisms of virus translocation across cell membranes. The lab is initiating the Single Virion Biology and Biophysics Unit’s research program with a new member joining the team. The new member brings knowledge and experience using the RM21 fluorescence microscope platform. This is very important to the lab’s researching of a single-virus particle and single-molecule imaging. The new member is relocating to the NIH from Brandeis University, where their research program broadly focused on uncovering fundamental molecular mechanisms of virus translocation across cell membranes as lab has been conducting research and collecting data for years. It is essential for the lab to have access to the same instrumentation and experimenting processes to guarantee the consistency of the of new and previous data being collected at the NIH. Very importantly, procurement of a new RM21 fluorescence microscope will allow staff to use existing protocols to avoid introducing outside variables resulting in corruption of the labs experiments leading to spending additional funding to having to start experimental process with a different platform. Switching to a different manufacturer would require development of new protocols, which would be very costly to the government. Without this new RM21 fluorescence microscope the lab will not be able to answer the types of questions that need to be addressed in order to make progress uncovering fundamental molecular mechanisms of virus translocation across cell membranes.

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The statutory authority for this sole source requirement is 41 U.S.C. 1901 (a) (1) as implemented by FAR 13.106-1 only one responsible source and no other supply of service will satisfy agency requirements. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. All responsible sources that could provide comparable equipment may submit a capability statement that will be considered by email (subject line to reference NOI-NIAID-23-2164628) by 11:00 AM eastern standard time on 05/15/2022. All responses received by the closing date of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.