[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