Sources Sought: Laboratory Animal Diagnostic Testing Services

Event Organizer: National Institutes of Health

Event Website: https://sam.gov/opp/5282b4bc97e24fedb216cbbb5dc10567/view

Event Overview:

Solicitation #: 75N96023Q00132

“The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is one (1) of 27 research institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The
mission of the NIEHS is to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives. The Branches & Laboratories at NIEHS fall under the Intramural Research and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Divisions. The Comparative Medicine Branch (CMB) ensures the judicious and humane use of rodents for biomedical research that benefits human and animal health. The CMB maintains the animal facility for the NIEHS and is responsible for the
health and well-being of the research animal population. The health and well-being of these animals are a critical factor in many research projects. Laboratory animals are susceptible to many different diseases, which may be symptomatic or subclinical but still have profound effects on research. Some of these diseases can be zoonotic (contagious to humans). Diagnosis of these animal diseases is very important in maintaining the quality of the NIEHS research animals as well as ensuring the safety of the researcher and animal care staff. The Quality Assurance Laboratory (QAL) within CMB is responsible for monitoring the health status of incoming and resident animal colonies and making appropriate decisions based on the results of this monitoring. The QAL is also responsible for the NIEHS animal health surveillance program. Sentinel animals are used most often monitor the animal population. Monitoring may include a complete necropsy, examination for ecto- and endoparasites, microbial identification, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and analysis of rodent blood or serum for response of the immune system to pathogens (serological assay). QAL is responsible for reporting the health status of the animal or tissue specimens back to the appropriate veterinarian(s) and researchers.

The primary scope of the contract will be to perform diagnostic testing services as part of the animal health surveillance program. Identification of unknown bacterial or fungal isolates using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization – Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) spectrophotometry or partial genomic sequencing of biological samples may also be requested. Other assays, such as Western Blot or Immunofluorescent Antibody (IFA) may be requested to confirm initial, equivocal, serological results. As such, testing services of a commercial laboratory are needed to conduct the diagnostic testing on rodent blood/sera, rodent tissues, rodent fecal specimens or other biological samples (e.g., cell cultures, viral vectors, isolated proteins, etc.).

The Contractor shall execute a broad range of Laboratory Animal Diagnostic Testing Services and shall provide a readily available source for diagnostic testing services as a part of the QAL overall diagnostic and health monitoring programs at NIEHS. The Contractor shall receive the biological samples, perform requested testing on these samples and shall provide results to the Government via e-mail, telephone or other electronic source (e.g., online access).”

Due date: 08 September 2023, 5:00 p.m. EDT