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 Systems Biosciences, LLC for RNA sequencing service as a follow on due to continuity protocols.

The Malaria Cell Biology Section (MCBS) within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) studies the pathogenesis of malaria, which includes studies on the mechanism by which malaria parasites invade erythrocytes (including the study of parasite ligands and erythrocyte receptors), the mechanism of antigenic variation, the molecular basis for cerebral malaria and rosetting, and the physiologic basis of vacuole formation.​​

EVs are nano-sized vesicular structures secreted by cells into body fluids that are regarded as vehicles for cell-to-cell communication. EVs carry biological content from the cell of origin and their cargo can alter functions in recipient cells, thus contributing to pathophysiological states. EVs may also serve as a diagnostic source for disease biomarkers, as the content of vesicles can give insight into disease stage, progression, etiology, and response to therapy. In this project we intend to isolate EVs from patients with food allergy during oral tolerance protocols or after food challenges and determine the content of micro RNA within these EVs, which will be performed by SBI. Micro RNAs control various biological processes by regulating protein translation. We hope to better understand the regulatory environment, through the study of the EV content, that sets apart patients that are responsive to oral tolerance therapy from those that are not.

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 services may submit a capability statement that will be considered. The documents must be submitted via the NIAID electronic Simplified Acquisition Submission System (eSASS) website at https://esass.nih.gov, (subject line to reference NOI-NIAID-24-2225527 by 12:00 pm eastern standard time August 2, 2024. All vendors must register in the eSASS system to submit a quotation. Instructions on how to register / submit quotes are included on the website. Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). All responsible sources may submit an offer that will be considered by this Agency.

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