This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is an invitation to prospective Proponents to submit Proposals for the provision of a size exclusion chromatography system for the Nutrition Sciences’ Laboratory at the University of Ottawa, to characterize a broad range of biopolymers (e.g. polysaccharides and proteins) and their structure-function relationship related to food and nutritional properties.
General Description:
This system is proposed for rapid, efficient and automated separation and characterization of food polymers by their size and conformation, with size exclusion column, refractive index, light scattering and viscometry detectors. The equipment has features that make it excellent for studying a broad range of food polysaccharides and proteins, and will be used to characterize food biopolymers at the molecular level by their size and spatial conformation. The equipment will also be used to study molecular aggregation and complexation during food processing and to connect foods’ physico-chemical properties (e.g. viscosity and depolymerisation by enzymes) with nutritional properties (e.g. satiety, glycemic response, bioactives delivery) or organoleptic properties (e.g. mouthfeel). With such analytical system applied to food biopolymers, time between sample preparation and sample analysis is often restricted and solvent systems differ from those used for synthetic polymers.
Minimum Mandatory Specifications:
1. Size Exclusion Chromatography System
1.1 Must be equipped with at least a binary pump
1.2 Must be able to sustain flow rates from up to 5 mL/min, and pressure up to 5 MPa
1.3 Must be equipped with a column compartment with thermostat control from room temperature to 60oC
1.4 Column compartment must be able to accommodate at least 2 columns and 1 guard column.The system should also be equipped with switching valves.
1.5 Must provide detection sensitivity of ≤ 1μg on pullulan in aqueous mobile phase
1.6 Must accommodate sample volume of 10-300 μL
1.7 Must be equipped with an autosampler for at least 25 samples
1.8 Must be equipped with a triple detection system including:
1- light scattering, at least dual angle;
2- RI detector; and
3- viscometer
for absolute molecular weight measurement (range: 103 – 107 Daltons) and polymer conformation studies at low and high MW ranges
1.9 System must include a computer, screen and appropriate software for data acquisition and analysis
1.10 Software updates and licenses must be included
2. Organizational Environment
2.1 Must be CSA approved
2.2 Must accommodate electrical requirement of 100-240V
3. Other Requirements
3.1 Full installation in dedicated space must be provided.
3.2 Must include at least one (1) year warranty on parts and labor.
3.3 Training on equipment must be provided within 2 weeks of installation (unless failure arises from causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the supplier)
3.4 Must include a technical support plan, including free telephone and/or web support for the life time of the system.
