43701-2A-5A-ACAN - Bruker MultiMode 8-HR Atomic Force Microscopy Upgrade

BACKGROUND:
Notice is hereby given by the University of Ottawa of the intent to enter into a contract with Systems For Research Corp. to procure an upgrade of the existing Bruker MultiMode SPM[1] NanoScope 5 to a high-resolution Bruker MultiMode NanoScope 8 HR[2] to support the study of Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) reactions.

PROCESS:
Suppliers who consider being capable of upgrading the existing Bruker MultiMode SPM NanoScope 5 to a functional, successfully tested, readily available and fully compliant to the ACAN minimum requirements high-resolution Bruker MultiMode NanoScope 8 HR may submit in writing a statement of specifications to the contact person identified in this Notice, on or before the closing date of this Notice. In the statement of specifications, the supplier must unequivocally demonstrate how their solution, at minimum, equals or exceeds the stated requirements.
If no other supplier submits a statement of specifications, on or before the closing date of this Notice, the competitive requirements of the University of Ottawa will be considered having been met.
Following notification to any suppliers not successful in unequivocally demonstrating that their statement of specifications equals or exceeds the requirements set out in this Notice, the contract may then be awarded to the pre-identified supplier.

Date of issue: February 20th, 2025
Closing Date:  March 6th, 2025, at 3:00:00 P.M. EST

INTENDED USE:
The upgrade from a Bruker MultiMode SPM NanoScope 5 to a high-resolution Bruker MultiMode NanoScope 8 aims to support the study of Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) reactions. In these reactions, single-stranded DNA molecules (RCA products) are generated using circular templates to amplify detection signals for food safety inspection applications. Additionally, the proposed equipment will be used to monitor and verify surface modifications of microfluidic channels, where we modify the inner surfaces chemically using a layer-by-layer approach. Lastly, the upgraded system will be used to study and quantify interactions between capturing aptamers and their targets, such as pathogenic bacteria, under various pH conditions and in different sample media, including milk and juice.

FUNCTIONALITY:
The upgrade of the Bruker MultiMode SPM NanoScope 5 to the MultiMode NanoScope 8 AFM HR must conform to the following requirements and specifications: 
The Bruker MultiMode SPM NanoScope 5 must be controlled with NanoScope 6 controller and NanoScope version 10 or later software. To the best of our knowledge, Bruker is the only system manufacturer that can supply, install and maintain the required components for a MultiMode NanoScope 8 AFM[3] upgrade.
The MultiMode NanoScope 8 AFM HR must have the following requirements and specifications:

• Requires a completely automatic engage under software control (NanoScope software) into feedback on the sample surface, using the stepper motor and the Z-piezo incrementally to find the lowest possible imaging force with a minimum of false engages and a minimum of user interaction.
• Windows-10 or later Operating System, 64-bit, Intel i7 8700 processor or higher.
• Imaging: Control parameters (e.g. sample rate, number of lines, zoom, offset, image field size) must be changeable in real-time and on the fly (without stopping and restarting the image process).
• The system must provide the capability to calibrate the cantilever spring constant by thermal tuning of the cantilever by sampling frequencies up to 2 MHz.
• The system must support high pixel density images up to 5k x 5k data points for 8 channels. The system must provide a 16-bit ADC[4] updated at 10MHz for feedback signal.
• The system must allow for up to 8 simultaneous channels in real-time scanning, each at 20 bits, updated at 500kHz rate.
• The system must include the possibility to sample at a rate up to 50 MHz on 2 channels with 16-bit resolution. It must be possible to trigger the high-speed data capture by software-defined events, such as: reaching a specific location in the scanned image, or when a user-defined parameter reaches a specified level. Electronics for the high-speed sampling must be integrated into the AFM controller. No external electronics will be accepted.
• The system must include 3 independent digital lock-in amplifiers, integrated into the AFM controller with the following features:
  • Two lock-ins must operate up to 10MHz, and a third one up to 50kHz.
  • The lock-ins must be software controlled (NanoScope software), including control of the lock-in bandwidth, routing of input signal, and routing of output signals.
  • No external electronics will be accepted.

• The controller must provide 32-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) control per axis (X, Y, & Z) with a 2MHz update rate.

• The AFM must have a sample-scanning design, always maintaining the XY and Z position of the tip constant concerning the laser and photo-detector position. Any form of tip-scanning will not be accepted.
• The AFM engage mechanism must be automated, vertical, and fully software-controlled to prevent possible user damage to tips or samples from manual engage processes.
• The AFM must have multiple scanners available optimized for different applications: large area scanners (>125um in XY and >5um in Z) for larger sample features and small area scanners for routine atomic resolution in AFM and STM imaging - 10 um in XY and ~2.5um in Z; and 0.5umXY and 0.5umZ.
• The AFM must have a system (height) noise better than 30 pm RMS, in typical imaging bandwidth, and therefore, atomic resolution images with defects can be routinely achieved on applicable samples, such as calcite and mica.
• The AFM must have all major SPM[5] imaging modes, including contact mode, tapping mode, and a high-resolution imaging mode based on sinusoidal force ramps (PeakForce Tapping mode).
• Peakforce Tapping mode that can achieve high-resolution imaging in both air and liquid based on force mapping. ®(Bruker US 7,658,097; EP 1,938,040; US 8,739,309; EP 2,359,148; US 8,650,660; EP 2,646,838).

• As a high-resolution imaging mode, the sinusoidal force ramp-based mode must have the following features:
  • Excellent force setpoint control during imaging and automatically compensates for drift of the deflection signal. The force setpoint can be set to less than 10 pN for high-resolution imaging of proteins.
  • No cantilever tuning is required so there is no concern of cantilever resonant frequency shift caused by the experimental condition changes during the imaging process. In addition, no cantilever tuning makes the imaging process much easier than the tapping mode, particularly in liquid.
  • This mode must be capable of operation without limiting functionality with fluid cells, heating cells and electrochemical cells.
  • Use a lock-in-based feedback mechanism to control the tip-sample interaction force to better preserve tips and samples.
  • Have at least 4 kHz ramp frequency to ensure a high imaging rate (effective line rates of 4 Hz at 512 pixels per line and 8 kHz ramp frequency is available for upgrade).
  • Have an automated image optimization routine that adjusts the force feedback gain constantly while scanning to ensure consistent sample topography tracking to obtain high-fidelity images in air and liquid.
• The system must have the option for quantitative nanomechanical mapping (PeakForce QNM) along with a high-resolution topography image based on the fast sinusoidal force ramps up to 4kHz. With this option, the mechanical properties, such as modulus based on the DMT model and Sneddon model, adhesion, indentation, and dissipation will be simultaneously collected in real-time.
  • Topography, DMT modulus, adhesion, dissipation of energy, and deformation must be simultaneously measured in real-time and displayed with quantitative SI units.
• The BRUKER upgrade of the MultiMode NanoScope 5 to the MultiMode NanoScope 8 AFM HR must be supplied, installed with a training and warrantied by an authorized Bruker Partner.

• V10 compatible Upgrade with PeakForce-HR Module for Existing MultiMode SPM with a NanoScope 3/3A/3D/4/4A or V Control station
• Factory Retrofit of Existing MultiMode SPM Optical Head for Q-control Operation           
• 10-micron x 10-micron Liquid Resistant Scanner for MultiMode SPMs
• Cantilever Holder for Scanning in Fluid (TappingMode, Force Modulation) with the MultiMode SPM
• Vibration Isolation Table