This Request for Proposals (the “RFP”) is an invitation by the University of Ottawa (the “University”) to prospective proponents to submit proposals for a High Speed and High Resolution Inverted Confocal Microscope System, funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund.
THE DELIVERABLES
The propsed equipment is a high speed and high resolution inverted confocal microscope system that will be used to study interactions between capturing bioligands, such as antibodies and aptamers, immobilized on the inner wall of microfluidic channels and their targeted particles, such as bacterial cells in samples of interest. Additionally, the proposed equipment will be used to study different flow patterns in microfluidic channels as we change microfluidic channel inner wall designs. Finally, the proposed high resolustion confocal microscope system will be used to image both 2D and 3D sample preparations, cell cultures and organoids.
An essential component of this research is to study the interactions between the surface tethered bioligands, such as antibodies and aptamers, and their targeted particles, such as baterial cells under flow conditions inside of microfluidic channels. This will be accomplished via confocal imaging to monitor how fluorescently labled baterial cells are captured by bioligands immobilized on the inners surfaces of the midrofluidic channles. As the required task is to image inside of microfluidic channles, the confocal system must be able to image large depth through glass (slides or cover slips) and ideally polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). In addition, since the confocal system will be used to routinely study flow conditions under high flow rates, high speed imaging under dim to very dim signal intensities is required.
Another major component of the study using the proposed confocal system is to study and control the microfluidic channel flow patterns by different channel wall designs. This research will be realized by using the proposed confocal microscope as localized flow rate probe within a small controlled volume at specific points of interest throughout the microfluidic channels. Due to the large amount of expected data to be processed, automated concentration profiling using the confocal microscope is desired.
Finally, the proposed high resolustion confocal microscope system will be rountinely used to image both 2D and 3D sample preparations, cell cultures and organoids. Therefore the confocal imaging system is required to be equipped with fluorescence capabilities for at least FITC, GFP, TRITC, Cy3, DAPI, and Cy5.
The confocal microscope should also be equipped with 2.5x, 10x, 20x, & 40x objectives. In addition, the microscope should be equipped with high resolution and high sensitivity digital cameras. Finally, the microscope will be equipped with software and powerful computer capabilities of to allow extended depth of focus, software autofocus, multiposition experiments, large area high resolution imaging, colocalization, image analysis, and intelligent acquisition. The microscope should also be equipped with phase contrast, polarizing and ideally DIC microscopy.
Mandatory Technical Specifications Requirements:
1.0 - Microscope
1.1 - Must be on a fully motorized inverted microscope with motorized x-y scanning stage
1.2 - Must have phase contrast microscopy for all objectives
1.3 - Must have polarizing microscopy capability and components
1.4 - Focus must be performed automatically for all combinations of objectives and wavelengths
1.5 - Must be equipped with fluorescence capabilities for at least FITC, GFP, TRITC, Cy3, DAPI, and Cy5.
1.6 - Must have Insert for: Slides 1, Petri dishes, Plates
1.7 - Must have Anti vibration platform for the microscope required for stable imaging
1.8 - The overall footprint of the whole microscope setup (everything included) cannot be more than 171 cm wide x 104 cm deep
1.9 - Must be able to confocal image through glass and PDMS and imaging depth must be more than 150 micron
1.10 - Resolution must be 120 nm or better
1.11 - The optical sectioning method must not rely on deconvolution or aperture correlation
1.12 - Must be able to analyse localized flow rate within a small controlled volume (volume in sub um3 ) at specific points of interest throughout the microfluidic channels.
2.0 - Cameras
2.1 - Must be equipped with a monochrome camera with the following minimum specifications:
- 5 mpxls+ cooled USB 3 equivalent to 2/3-inch chip
- Live Frame rate 2464 × 2056 200 fps
- Recording Frame rate 2464 × 2056 200 fps
- 1x adaptor with trigger cables
2.2 - Must be equipped with a color camera with the following minimum specifications:
- 5 mpxls
- Live 36 frames / s @ max 2,464 × 2,056 pixels
- USB 3.0 SuperSpeed (5 Gbit / s)
- 1x c mount
3.Software
3.1 - Must have complete microscope, fluorescence, and camera controls, & full software suite for controlling all components, with time series, z stack, autofocus and extended focus, 3D rendering, and automated image analysis
3.2 - Must have a combination of physical device for focusing merged with software autofocus for large sample imaging
3.3 - Must include a minimum of 2 licenses for the lab with the following specification:
- Integrated 3D rendering
- The software to be able rotating freely 3-dimensional z stacks, as well as allowing for the creation of insightful movies that can be exported for PowerPoint or publications
- Must enable Users to create their own modules or access user created modules
- Must display the intensity frequency histogram and adjustment of individual image channels, saving and loading of display mapping and applying to subsequent images
- Must be able to generate associated image statistics (mean intensity, std dev, variance)
- Must be able to do Orthogonal and 2.5D views of 3-dimension data
- Must have Linear unmixing tools for spectral separating overlapping channels
3.4 - For a period of five (5) years after acceptance, the proponent shall be responsible to provide, free of charge, software (operational and diagnostic) upgrades that enhance the existing capabilities of the equipment.
4.0 - Computer
4.1 - Must include a computer capable of running all of the applicable software and producing the analyses/reports described above.
4.2 - Must include minimum of one (1) high definition 30-inch (minimum) monitor
5.0 - Service and Support
5.1 - On-site response-time is required within 72 hours from a qualified representative of the successful proponent. Remote, telephone or email service is required within 24 hours.
5.2 - Complete on-site installation, calibration and training must be included.
6.0 - Warranty and Preventative Maintenance
6.1 - Must include a minimum of one (1) year manufacturer’s warranty.
6.2 - Must be capable of providing a minimum of 4 additional years of extended warranty / preventive maintenance beyond the initial first year (5 years total).
