Microscale Thermophoresis Instrument

THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE*** The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a Microscale Thermophoresis Instrument. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to NanoTemper Technologies Inc., 400 OYSTER POINT BLVD, STE 336, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94080 , under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a size standard of 1,000 Employees. The Biomolecular Structure and Function (BSF) Group requires a Microscale Thermophoresis (MST) instrument to support measurement science for biomanufacturing and formulated biotherapeutics. The requirement is for a solution-phase, non-flow, temperature-gradient-driven (thermophoretic) measurement platform capable of characterizing molecular transport and structural changes in both purified systems and complex solution environments. For a unified measurement framework, the instrument must provide both intrinsic fluorescence (label-free) and fluorescently labeled detection capabilities within a single integrated MST platform, allowing direct comparison of measurements while maintaining a consistent analytical methodology. NIST has a need for a Microscale Thermophoresis Instrument to support measurement science for biomanufacturing and formulated biotherapeutics. The requirement is for a solution-phase, non-flow, temperature-gradient-driven (thermophoretic) measurement platform capable of characterizing molecular transport and structural changes in both purified systems and complex solution environments. For a unified measurement framework, the instrument must provide both intrinsic fluorescence (label-free) and fluorescently labeled detection capabilities within a single integrated MST platform, allowing direct comparison of measurements while maintaining a consistent analytical methodology. The thermophoretic measurement platform capable of evaluating molecular transport behavior through temperature-gradient-driven migration. The static solution environment provided by MST is essential for direct comparison with NMR-derived measurements in the BSF group and for developing transferable biomanufacturing measurement methodologies. The use of separate instruments or multiple platforms would not satisfy the requirement. NIST specifically requires both intrinsic fluorescence (label-free) and fluorescently labeled measurements within a single MST platform to ensure cross-comparable measurements and consistent interpretation across purified samples, formulation matrices, and complex solution environments. The thermophoretic response depends strongly on the coupled optical and thermal characteristics of the instrument. Using separate instruments for intrinsic and labeled measurements would introduce platform-dependent variability complicating direct comparison between datasets and reduce the reproducibility. A single integrated MST platform minimizes these sources of variability and preserves consistency across all measurement conditions. If another source were selected, the Government would be unable to obtain the required MST measurements using the specified thermophoretic measurement principle. Alternative technologies would generate data based on different physical phenomena that are not the focus of this requirement. If the requirement were competed among vendors that do not provide a commercial MST platform meeting these specifications, the Government would either receive technically noncompliant proposals or be forced to modify its requirements and measurement objectives. Consequently, NanoTemper is uniquely capable of meeting this requirement because it is the only known vendor capable in providing a capillary-based MST instrument with both intrinsic fluorescence (label-free) and fl...