This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation, Notice of Intent. The Government intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Affymetrix, for Custom Gene Chips, in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are not being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Submit offers on NOI-RML-7012. The solicitation documents and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-14 dated 11/22/06. This acquisition will be processed under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) and is not a Small Business Set-Aside. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541710 and the small business size is 500. SCHEDULE: The Rocky Mountain Laboratories, (RML), performs basic research contributing to the development of diagnostic reagents, therapeutics and vaccines against human bacterial pathogens. The RML has a need to construct a custom chip from the manufacturer that will contain a Salmonella genome in the context of open reading frames (ORFs), intergenic regions, and non-coding DNAs. This chip shall be unique and specific to RML. The RML has a need to purchase 1 lot of these custom chips from Affymetrix, lot size shall be approximately 90 (ninety) chips. This chip is unique and specific to RML. No other chip of it?s kind exists. These gene chips are a one-time-use-only consumable and will be consumed in RML experiments. This is a 6-8week, one time work effort, where the final product will be 1 lot of RML custom salmonella gene chips, at ~90 chips per lot. The design and manufacturing process of this custom gene chip is wholly patented and owned by Affymetrix. The chip is high density, at 106 per cm2 (USPNos. 5445934 and 5744305). The custom GeneChip? was made by photolithography manufacturing technology (USPNos. 5424186, 5510270), developed solely by Affymetrix. The multi-genome GeneChip? probe array must enable identification of 2-fold or greater levels of change in expression levels, and detection of as little as 1 mRNA transcript in a complex mixture of 100,000. The GeneChip? probe array must contain multiple unique probes designed to be Perfect Match (PM), 25-mer oligonucleotide probe pairs, to represent each mRNA transcript (full length gene) tested, and multiple probes designed to be Mis-Match (MM), to enable calibration of non-specific hybridization data (USPNos.5527681). Additional control sequences (yeast and commensal) must also be available on the chip for hybridization control, and housekeeping gene analysis. The probe selection strategy for the multi-genome custom GeneChip? probe array was based upon a probe design database (USPNos. 6188783) and was able to distinguish between highly homologous sequences and those of closely related gene families, strains, species and genus of bacteria. The multi-genome custom GeneChip? probe array is housed in a fixed volume reaction chamber (USPNos. 5945334, 6140044) providing automated and consistent hybridization of samples to the array. We will process the chips on our Affymetrix system which contains: the Affymetrix GeneArray? Scanner, Fluidics Station, 640 Hybridization Oven, Micro Array Suite/Data Mining Tool (USPNos. 5871928, 6040138, 6197506), MicroDB, and software database. No other photolithography-based chip, apart from those purchased from Affymetrix is compatible with the Affymetrix system in place within the Genomics Unit of the Research Technologies Section. FOB Point shall be Destination, Hamilton, MT. Inside delivery shall be six (6) weeks after receipt of the order by Affymetrix. Delivery location is Rocky Mountain Laboratories, 903 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, MT. The following FAR provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition: (B)(1) By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the CCR database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation; 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items; FAR52.212-2 Evaluation Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items; FAR 52-212.5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders Commercial Items; By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall have posted their FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items at website http://orca.bpn.gov. Award will be based on the capability of the item offered to meet the above stated salient characteristics, delivery, price and best value to the government. Offers may be mailed to Barbara Horrell at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, 903 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, Mt 59840, faxed to the POC indicated above (Fax - 406-363-9288), or e-mailed at ([email protected]). Offers must be submitted not later than 4:30 PM (MDST), 12/26/06. Copies of the above-referenced clauses are available from http://www.regulations.gov or upon request, either by telephone or fax. All responsible sources may submit an offer that will be considered by this Agency.

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