Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Long-Evans-Tg(ChAT-Cre)5.1Deis transgenic rats, University of MO

This notice announces the intent by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) in support of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) to negotiate solely (as prescribed in FAR 13.106(b)(1)(i)) with the Rat Resource and Research Center at the University of MO, 4011 Discovery Drive, RADIL Building, Columbia, MO for the award of a firm-fixed price commercial Purchase Order for forty (40) Long-Evans-Tg(ChAT-Cre)5.1Deis transgenic rats to conduct optogenetics experiments. Long Evans-Tg(ChAT-Cre)5.1Deis rats are the only animal model available to specifically meet the needs of our research as designed and funded. This bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic rat line expresses Cre recombinase specifically in cholinergic neurons of the central nervous system. This enables targeting of only CNS cholinergic neurons for viral delivery and production of halorhodopsin (NpHR) which is essential for the goals of this research project. There is no other method or transgenic strain that exists that can specifically target only central cholinergic neurons for optogenetic interrogation. These characteristics are required to complete our funded research project. No other strain will be acceptable. The RRRC is the only institution offering this strain of rat for purchase. Therefore, the Government intends to purchase these items directly from Rat Resource and Research Center at the University of MO on a sole source basis.