Notice of Intent to Sole Source - ChromoLogic

Collaboration with vendor is needed to evaluate our existing test samples from rats exposed to silica-containing, engineered stone dusts. Predictive algorithms are needed for pre-sympomatic pulmonary fibrosis, and we will need to be able to partner with the vendor to test whether existing predictive models for pre-symptomatic radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis are useful for silica-induced fibrosis by using their proprietary algorithms. Samples that will be shipped to the vendor. The vendor will need to be able to evaluate them according to a well-established workflow for miRNA analysis and bioinformatic analysis.They will evaluate plasma sample acceptability and perform miRNA extraction, sequencing, and analysis. They will then evaluate the results obtained to determine comparability to existing circulating miRNA-based fibrosis signatures using proprietary algorithms based on bioinformatic analyses using both Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encycolpdeia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) evaluations that have been integrated into a computational, predictive model of pre-symptomatic radiation-induced fibrosis that uses the relative expression of miRNA found in extracellular vescicles of circulating plasmsa in exposed animals. They will use their proprietary predictive model of pre-symptomatic radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis to determine how useful it is in detecting pre-symptomatic silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis by evaluating the positive predictive value among those samples tested.