Histology Sample Slides

THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE (AGO), WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER (WAD), FISHERIES OMB FIELD DELEGATES AND NORTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER, MILFORD LABORATORY, INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(B)(1), WITH UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, CONNECTICUT VETERINARY MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY (CVMDL) LOCATED IN STORRS, CT FOR HISTOLGY SAMPLE SLIDES TO BE PERFORMED AT STORRS, CT.

THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA’S REQUIREMENT THAT UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, CONNECTICUT VETERINARY MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY (CVMDL) IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT MANUFACTURES AND DISTRIBUTES THIS HISTOLOGY SAMPLE SLIDES. THE MILFORD LABORATORY IS CURRENTLY MONITORING HEALTH AND DISEASE IN NATURAL AND RESTORED OYSTER POPULATIONS TO GAIN BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DRIVERS OF DISEASE AND POPULATION DYNAMICS IN THESE UNMANAGED SYSTEMS.

THE GOLD STANDARD DIAGNOSTIC METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AND QUANTIFYING THE BURDEN OF TWO COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT AND ENDEMIC HAPLOSPORIDIAN PARASITES OF CONCERN IS HISTOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF OYSTER CROSS-SECTIONS. HISTOLOGICAL EVALUATION IS ALSO USED TO IDENTIFY GONAD SEX AND MATURATION STATE WHICH ARE IMPORTANT METRICS OF REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS. TO ESTABLISH SEASONAL TIMEFRAMES OF DISEASE PROGRESSION AND SPAWNING, OYSTER SAMPLES ARE COLLECTED AND PRESERVED ON A MONTHLY BASIS YEAR-ROUND.

PREPARATION OF SLIDES FOR HISTOLOGY INVOLVES EMBEDDING AND PROCESSING OF SAMPLE TISSUE, FOLLOWED BY CAREFUL SECTIONING, SLIDE MOUNTING, AND STAINING TO OBTAIN THE OPTIMAL IMAGE. FIRST, OYSTER TISSUES ARE NOT COMMON SPECIMENS, SO IN ORDER TO ENSURE HIGH QUALITY TISSUE SECTIONS AND SLIDE STAINING, CVMDL HAS AN ESTABLISHED PROTOCOL AND EXPERIENCE WITH SUCCESSFULLY PROCESSING OYSTER TISSUE FOR HISTOPATHOLOGICAL EVALUATION.

THE CVMDL IS ONE OF A FEW PLACES IN THE NORTHEAST WITH THE PROTOCOL, EXPERIENCE, EQUIPMENT, AND SPECIALIZED PERSONNEL WITH THIS CAPABILITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FACILITY MUST BE LOCATED WITHIN DRIVING DISTANCE OF THE MILFORD LABORATORY, IN A RANGE THAT ALLOWS FOR ROUNDTRIP TRAVEL BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND CVMDL FACILITIES WITHIN A STANDARD 8 HOUR WORKDAY.

THIS IS BECAUSE THE VOLUME OF SAMPLES REQUIRES ~2L OF ETHANOL PER SAMPLE BATCH, AND DOMESTIC SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS LIMIT PACKAGES OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS IN ETHANOL TO 1 L. DUE TO THESE SHIPPING LIMITATIONS, MILFORD LAB PERSONNEL WILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO DROP OFF SAMPLES AND PICK-UP PROCESSING SLIDES AND TISSUE BLOCKS FROM THE CVMDL LOCATION. THE CVMDL IS LOCATED 70 MILES FROM THE MILFORD LABORATORY.

LASTLY, BECAUSE WE WILL BE USING THESE SLIDES AS A MEANS OF IDENTIFYING THE REPORTABLE PATHOGEN, PERKINSUS MARINUS, WE REQUIRE THE CONTRACTOR TO BE APPROVED BY THE USDA AS A NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH LABORATORY NETWORK (NAHLN) LAB WITH THE PROFICIENCY TO MEET THE DIAGNOSTIC NEEDS OF THIS WORK. THE CVMDL IS THE ONLY NAHLN APPROVED LABORATORY IN THE NORTHEAST AND THUS MEETS ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THE WORK. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 05/01/2024 THROUGH 04/30/2027.

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.