Published date: 16 July 2024

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Closing: 15 August 2024, 12pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Research and development services and related consultancy services - 73000000

Location of contract

London

Value of contract

£500,000

Procurement reference

BIP875694845

Published date

16 July 2024

Closing date

15 August 2024

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

9 September 2024

Contract end date

31 March 2025

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

No

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

RBG Kew require a consultancy service, to expand the work developed during phase 1, to adapt AMFinder, an AI visualisation tool developed by Evangelisti et al (2021) to assess fungal-colonisation, for use with more complex field root samples. The work in phase 2 would focus on improving the accuracy of the outputs that AMFinder generates and expanding its functionality to detect different mycorrhizal types. This will build on the preliminary work carried out in phase 1, exploring the potential of a semi-supervised learning approach, and improving the user experience of the tool, by editing the dashboard interfaces and developing pipelines. The AMFinder tool should provide a method for rapid quantification of fungal colonisation in plant roots. Input to the tool will be images of ink-stained fungal structures inside roots mounted on microscopy slides, taken with a digital slide scanner (Panoramic Midi II) at RBG Kew. Adherence to data regulation and standards is essential.

More information

Links

About the buyer

Address

Royal Botanic Gardens,
The Herbarium, Kew Green,
Richmond
TW9 3AE
UK

Telephone

+442083325000

Email

procurement@kew.org