Trade Agreement: NAFTA/AIT/Canada-Peru FTA/Canada-Colombia FTA Tendering Procedures: Generally only one firm has been invited to bid Attachment: None Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No Vendor Name and Address:
Becton Dickinson Canada Inc. BD Biosciences 2100 Derry Road West Suite 100 Mississauga Ontario Canada L5N0B3 Nature of Requirements:
FACS Aria III Cell Sorter System
6D063-123083/A Barenz, Leanne Telephone No. - (204) 983-0506 (
) Fax No. - (204) 983-7796
TITLE: Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) instrument
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), on behalf of the Public Health Agency of Canada, intends to negotiate with BD Biosciences for the provision of the following:
1.1. Background and Specific Scope of the Requirement
The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML), a directorate of the Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), is located in the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (CSCHAH) in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
As Canada's leading public health infectious disease laboratory, the NML is responsible for the identification, control and prevention of infectious diseases.
The NML's activities include reference microbiology, support to epidemiology programs, surveillance, emergency response, applied and discovery research, and management of intellectual assets to improve public health in Canada and internationally.
The Bioforensics Assay Development and Diagnostics (BADD) section of the NML performs a number of services to protect the public health security of Canadians, including the development of new, innovative laboratory reagents (such as antibodies) to improve disease detection, diagnostics, and therapeutic capabilities in Canada. The BADD section is being proactive by developing diagnostic tests and treatment strategies for infectious disease threats. This includes the development of antibodies against a number of health threats which are important to Canada and the international public health community. Biosafety level 3 and 4 biological agents are considered the greatest risk to national public health security - due to their high mortality rates, ease of transmission, and requirement for unique public health responses. The BADD section of the NML is taking a lead role in fulfilling the PHAC mandate on emergency preparedness and outbreak response by proactively developing antibodies against these threats.
Monoclonal antibodies are important tools to study microbial pathogenesis, are important diagnostic tools, and can be used in passive immunity and vaccine development.
The generation of monoclonal antibodies has been primarily based on the B-cell-fusion protocol developed by Kohler and Milstein.
This method can be very time and labour consuming and can result in low yields of the antibody in question.
Recent advances in recombinant DNA technologies have led away from cell fusion protocols to DNA- based methods for the generation of recombinant monoclonal antibodies.
These methods involve: (1) the identification and isolation of activated antibody producing B-cells; (2) amplification of the immunoglobulin genes expressed in those B-cells ; (3) expression of the immunoglobulin genes in cell culture and; (4) isolation of the recombinant monoclonal antibodies.
One of the essential elements of the recombinant monoclonal antibody protocol is the identification and isolation of specific antibody producing B-cells from a cell population.
This is done with the use of a Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) instrument. The use of FACS can provide large numbers of viable cells of a particular functional type; in this case, specific antibody producing B-cells.
In FACS, the cells of interest in the population are fluorescently -labelled and separated from the cell population based on fluorescence.
For the purpose of generating recombinant monoclonal antibodies, specific antibody producing B-cells are identified by targeting specific cell markers on the B-cell surface with a fluorescently labelled tag.
Once isolated, the immunoglobulin genes expressed in those cells are amplified, cloned and expressed to produce recombinant monoclonal antibodies.
It is imperative that the Monoclonal Antibody Unit at the NML obtain this state of the art technology to produce monoclonal antibodies.
A key advantage of FACS is the ability to isolate antibody producing cells from patients. In the event of an outbreak, patient samples can be analyzed with the FACS, and antibody producing cells can be rapidly identified and isolated. The generation of antibodies against infection would be a fast and efficient method to provide both diagnostic and therapeutic reagents.
This new technology will not only decrease the time to produce each monoclonal antibody, but with the specific antibody targeted from the initial isolation step with FACS, the quality of the recombinant antibodies produced will undoubtedly increase.
In public health emergency situations, such as bioterrorism events, infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics, the FACS Aria III instrument will be critical to activate the role of the Monoclonal Antibody Unit in emergency response. Instances of veremic or septicemic cases, the isolation of antibodies from human blood samples will provide rapid diagnoses towards saving lives. This new technology increases the number of antibodies identified which thereby increases the chances of identifying a highly effective antibody for treatment. Antibodies are critical in therapeutic response as they target the source of infections and increase the immune system response to infection. By incorporating this FACS technology into the NML diagnostic/therapeutic sample work-flow, we will contribute to meeting PHAC strategic objectives on emergency preparedness and response through filing capability gaps in managing public health threats.
Specifications and Standards
In order to meet the required specifications and standards of the National Microbiology Laboratory, the FACS Instrument will:
Require laser lines of:
20mW 488nm,
50mW 561nm, and
17mW 633nm
The instrument must be field upgradeable to accommodate up to 6 lasers including violet (405nm) and blue-violet (445nm) lasers.
The instrument must limit compensation required by having the ability to operate with 4 lasers simultaneously through four spatially separated beam spots.
Filters and mirrors must be user-changeable.
The instrument must have complete true fixed alignment laser beams focusing on gel-coupled cuvette (requiring no daily alignment for ease of use, consistency of results, short set-up time).
Single software for QC acquisition and analysis. Software must automatically track performance parameters with a single vial of reagent, and automatically determine:
o
Checks and adjust Laser Delays and Area Scaling Factor
o
Linear Range
o
Fluorescence Detector Efficiency
o
Optical Background
o
Electronic Noise o
Baseline PMT Voltage Settings o
Creates targets for ongoing standardization
The instrument must have user exchangeable nozzles of 70, 85, 100 and 130-µm to accommodate a wide range of particle sizes. Instrument should maintain fixed stream alignment, match pressure settings, drop drive frequency, amplitude and laser delays when nozzles are changed.
The instrument must have sample input agitation.
The instrument must have the ability to flush the sample injection port inside and outside to minimize carry-over between samples.
The instrument must have the ability to sort samples onto slides and plates (6, 24, 48, 96 and 384 well plates).
The Instrument must have sample input temperature control software adjustable to: 4 oC, 20 oC, 37 oC and 42oC.
Instrument must have self-contained fluidics cart with an autoclavable 10L sheath container; no air or vacuum required.
Software must control automated start-up and shut-down, flow cell cleaning and prepare for aseptic sort.
Must be delivered on or before March 28, 2013.
The only product that can meet our required specifications of a FACS instrument is the BD Biosciences FACSAria III cell sorter.
The latest Aria III instrument would give the Monoclonal Antibody unit the ability to produce recombinant monoclonal antibodies, and can also be used for other applications requiring FACS. The following limited tendering reasons pertain to this requirement:
The following trade agreements are applicable to this procurement: WTO-AGP/NAFTA/AIT
Government Contract Regulations, Part 1, Section 6(d) only one supplier (person or firm) is capable of performing the contract.
Article 506.12(b) of AIT,
Article 1016: Limited Tendering Procedures of NAFTA, and Article XV: Limited Tendering of WTO-AGP are applicable as this requirement can be fulfilled by only one supplier.
Estimated Cost:
$430,000.00 - $450,000.00 (GST not included) Delivery Date: Above-mentioned
You are hereby notified that the government intends to negotiate with one firm only as identified above. Should you have any questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting officer identified above.
An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority may then proceed with the award.
However, should a Statement of Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full tendering process.
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this Notice on or before the closing date of this Notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.
The PWGSC file number, the contracting officer's name and the closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the envelope in block letters or, in the case of a facsimile transmission, on the covering page.
The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.
Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.
