---
title: "Select Series MRT Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) system for sample preparation free tissue mass spectrometry imaging with superior molecular class coverage."
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03a6ef"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03a6ef"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03a6ef.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03a6ef.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY"
published: "2023-02-20"
---

# Select Series MRT Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) system for sample preparation free tissue mass spectrometry imaging with superior molecular class coverage.

Buyer: NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03a6ef

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## Summary

The National Physical Laboratory, located in Teddington, UK, has awarded a contract for a Select Series MRT Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) system for tissue mass spectrometry imaging to Waters Limited. The procurement process was completed and the contract, valued at £868,170.4 GBP, was signed on 20th February 2023. The system, part of the Laboratory, optical and precision equipments category, enables high-resolution tissue imaging with minimal sample preparation, offering superior molecular class coverage. The procurement method was a limited procedure without prior publication of a call for competition.

This tender presents growth opportunities for businesses in the laboratory equipment industry, particularly those specialised in mass spectrometry imaging solutions. Waters Limited, the supplier, provides the only commercially available DESI MSI system, offering high throughput and sensitivity for biological imaging. Companies with expertise in designing and manufacturing laboratory equipment, especially in the field of mass spectrometry, would be well-suited to compete for similar tenders that require cutting-edge technological solutions and superior image resolution capabilities.

## Notice

Desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (DESI MSI) provides excellent metabolic coverage and throughput with minimal sample preparation for tissue imaging in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Waters produce the only commercially available DESI MSI system. This latest innovation (Select Series MRT with DESI XS source) builds substantially on their previous DESI systems enabling superior image resolution, useability, reliability, mass accuracy < 1ppm and mass resolving power of > 200,000 at scan rates of 10Hz.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Our research in evaluation of multiple mass spectrometry imaging modalities shows that DESI provides a uniquely powerful combination of minimal sample preparation, low limits-of-detection and broad metabolic coverage. The Select Series MRT folded time of flight instrument should be equipped with the DESI XS ion source including motorised sample analysis stage, sample view camera and heated inlet capillary. It should provide DESI MSI functionality whilst offering >200,000 mass resolving power, < 1ppm mass accuracy, all at 10 Hz scan speeds. A range of pixel sizes and image ROIs should be available such that data acquisition at >10 um pixel size over a full microscope slide comprised of multiple image regions area if desired. The DESI inlet capillary should have temperature controlled to enable optimisation of ionisation / transmission for different analyte classes. The solvent delivery for DESI sprayer should be provided by a HPLC type pump system.

### Procurement Information

DESI MSI is only commercially available from Waters Ltd and coupled to their Select Series MRT folded time-of-flight instrument provides a powerful, high throughput, high sensitivity, high mass resolving power and high spatial resolution biological imaging system. Unique features of the Select Series MRT DESI instrument include: 1. Imaging of biomolecules from tissue by DESI MSI. 2. DESI MSI tissue analysis with mass resolving power of > 200,000 in the m/z range 50 - 1000 3. DESI MSI tissue analysis with mass accuracy < 1 ppm, > 200,000 mass resolving power at scan rates of 10 Hz

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005059-2023 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 Feb 2023 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 Feb 2023 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £868,170 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY |
| Locality | TEDDINGTON |
| Post town | Twickenham |
| Postcode | TW11 0LW |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI7 Outer London - West and North West |
| ITL 3 | TLI75 Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames |
| Local authority | Richmond upon Thames |
| Electoral ward | Teddington |
| Westminster constituency | Twickenham |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | WATERS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

## Release History

- 20 Feb 2023 at 15:31 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005059-2023

## Notice URLs

- http://www.npl.co.uk

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03a6ef. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03a6ef.json.