[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 127 (Monday, July 3, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34544-34545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-16233]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:
Opportunity for a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
(CRADA) for the Development of a High Performance Gene Expression
Mapping Assay System
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, PHS, DHHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeks an agreement
with a company(ies) which will collaborate on the development of an
automated high capacity, high resolution cellular gene mapping assay
system for mRNA expression analysis system or genomic fingerprinting.
ADDRESSES: Questions concerning scientific aspects of this opportunity
may be addressed to Roland Somogyi, Ph.D., National Institutes of
Health, NINDS, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 36, Room 2C02, Bethesda,
MD 20892. Telephone: 301-402-1407, or e-mail: [email protected].
Business questions should be addressed to Stephen Finley, Ph.D.,
National Institutes of Health, NINDS, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 31,
Room 8A46, Bethesda, MD 20892. Telephone: 301-496-4697, or e-mail:
[email protected].
DATES: Proposals should be received by September 1, 1995.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Laboratory of Neurophysiology (LNP)
studies the cellular function and processes of normal and abnormal
nerve cells. The over- and under-expression of genes play critical
roles in the control of cellular function, proliferation, and
differentiation, and are responsible for a number of neurodegenerative
disorders and hyperplasias. The LNP developed a quantitative reverse
transcription polymerase chain reaction based protocol which optimizes
the identification of over- or under-expression of genes in a cell. A
library of primers for over 100 different signaling genes have been
successfully used to screen expression patterns in nerve cells.
Current cellular gene expression research is hampered by the time
required for sequential analysis of the expressed genes in a cell.
There is no fully automated high capacity, high resolution assay system
developed for gene expression mapping (GEM).
An assay system which analyzes the expressed genes in cells will
provide a new opportunity for exploring how environmental or genetic
changes alter the cellular expression of genes. The significance of
such a system is that it allows cascade effects of a single event to be
analyzed in toto, as contrasted to being limited to the study of the
effect on a single gene. This new approach will refine the study of
cellular signaling processes and open the field of experimental genetic
networks. The study of genetic networks represents a frontier which
will provide insight into complex interactions between genes. This is
becoming a necessity since many current findings cannot be understood
in terms of a single gene acting in isolation.
The LNP would like to collaborate in developing an automated system
for the laborious gene expression assay process which incorporates
sample preparation, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction,
thermal cycling, and high speed analysis of the final product. The aim
of this CRADA is to produce an automated system which breaks through
[[Page 34545]]
the current technological barriers and ultimately enables the
cataloging of the expression levels of all genes in a cell type. The
culmination of this CRADA could provide a means to simultaneously
screen the mRNA variations in a multitude of cell types or provide a
means for the genomic fingerprinting of cellular DNA.
Role of NINDS
1. The LNP will provide its expertise in the quantitative reverse
transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) protocol it developed
as well as a custom library of primers for over 100 different genes.
2. Collaborate in designing instrumentation adapted for high
volume, high resolution gene expression analysis.
3. Collaborate in the formulation, evaluation, optimization of
experimental protocols based on the quantitative RTPCR protocols
identified above.
The role and criteria for selection of the successful company(ies)
under the CRADA will include, but may not be limited to, the following:
1. Having an established ability to design, manufacture or modify
in one or more of the following: Thermocycling devices, capillary
electrophoresis devices, automated detection systems (i.e fluorescence
or chromophoric) and laboratory robotics.
2. Ability to provide appropriate instrumentation either owned by
the company or obtained through third party licensing agreements.
3. Ability to market and sell the final product produced through
the collaboration.
Dated: June 16, 1995.
Barbara McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of
Health.
[FR Doc. 95-16233 Filed 6-30-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P