This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is an invitation to prospective Proponents to submit Proposals for the provision of a Time Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (“NMR”) Spectrometer for the Nutrition Sciences’ Laboratory at the University of Ottawa, to characterize the states of water in food and biopolymer systems and these systems’ structure-function relationship related to nutritional properties.
General Description:
The Time Domain NMR spectrometer is proposed for characterizing the states of water in various food matrices: for example, biopolymers-water interactions in relation with biopolymers’ structure, hydration kinetics of food systems or food components in relation with their micro and macro-structure or through in vitro digestion, etc. This instrument is critical for reliably linking the interactions of food components with water during physical or biological transformation processes.
Minimum Mandatory Requirements:
1. Time Domain NMR Spectrometer
1.1 Must be equipped with a temperature controlled (±0.05 °C) magnet
1.2 Magnet must be ≥0.45T and ≥20MHz
1.3 Must be equipped with a 20MHz 1H probe
1.4 Must be able to generate 5-65MHz pulses in 10Hz increments, with resolution ≤5ppm and phase resolution ≤0.5°
1.5 Must accommodate sample tubes of outer diameter >10mm
1.6 Probe must have a dead time ≤20μs
1.7 Must be equipped with temperature control system for the sample (-20 to 180 °C)
1.8 Must have pre-programmed pulse sequences for the determination of T1 (inversion recovery), T2 (CPMG), FID, and T1rho (spin-lock)
1.9 Must be able to perform continuous distribution analysis of relaxation data
1.10 Must be able to perform 2D continuous distribution analysis (T1 vs T2)
1.11 Must allow programming of new pulse sequences
1.12 System must be able to accommodate an upgraded probe in the future
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.
