A--Intent to award a contract to the University of Connecticut

Introduction: Pursuant to FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1), the U.S. Army RDECOM Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division, on behalf of the US Army Combat Feeding directorate, intends to award a firm fixed price purchase order on a sole source basis to: Instron, 825 University Ave, Norwood, MA 02062. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE. RESPONSES WILL BE USED FOR FUTURE ACQUISITIONS ONLY. 1. Nature and description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's needs: Research Study of Phosphoilipase CB in Freeze Trauma-Induced Skeletal Muscle Injury. Ongoing collaborative research study to identify ways to reduce and/or prevent skeletal muscle injury in military personnel. 2. A demonstration that the proposed contractor is the only source available to provide these services or goods (i.e. unique qualifications, proprietary rights, etc.): To continue with our ongoing research efforts designed to use pharmacological interventions to mitigate skeletal muscle injury in response to extreme trauma, we are engaging in a collaborative project with the University of Connecticut Health Science Center. This company has several unique capabilities which make it a prime candidate for collaborative work. Dr. Bruce Liang at the University of Connecticut Health Science Center has submitted a patent application (U.S. Patent Application 12/054,523, ~ Methods to Protect Skeletal Muscle Against Injury", filed 25 March 2006. Dr. Bruce Liang and Dr. Edward Zambraski, Inventors. The investigators at the University of Connecticut Health Science Center have already performed pilot work with pharmacological agents, perfected injury models, and developed sophisticated methods to analyze skeletal muscle injury in vivo using Evans Blue Dye staining and analysis techniques. Moreover, the University of Connecticut had developed a line of phospholipase CB null mice, which are readily available for breeding and testing purposes. It is important that we have access to this line of mice, as phospholipase CB null mice are resistant to the protective effects of the Adenosine A3 receptor agonist, proving important clues indicating what aspects of skeletal muscle injury are not protected by pharmacological treatment with the Adenosine A3 Receptor Agonist. 3. A description of the market research that was conducted and the results, or a statement of the reason a market research was not conducted: The University of Connecticut Health Science Center is the only facility that has: a steady supply of phospholipase CB null mice; perfected methods of skeletal muscle injury in these mice and wild-type mice, to include eccentric, IfR, and blunt trauma type injuries and identified an effective means to measure skeletal muscle injury in vivo via Evans Blue Dye staining and analysis techniques. 4. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement to the U.S. Army RDECOM Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division via e-mail to: contact@example.gov no later than 10:00am (EST) on July 25th, 2011. Contracting Office Address: Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground Natick Contracting Division Kansas Street, Building 1 Natick, MA 01760-5011 Point of Contact: Jeffrey Bernard, Contract Specialist (508)-233-6105 contact@example.gov