Locomotor Training Services
DESCRIPTION: The North Florida/South Georgia (NF/SG) Veterans Healthcare System, Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center, 1601 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32608 intends to award on a Sole Source basis, a contract, in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 8153(a)(3)(A), to provide Locomotor Training with Anabolic Adjuvants for Musculoskeletal Recovery after SCI research.
The proposed source is University of Florida, Myology Institute, Gainesville, FL. The VA intends to provide highly technical and specialized scientific professional services that encompass performing molecular biology-based assessments on rodent muscle, blood, and/or other tissue; performing immunohistochemistry-based assessment, visualization, and quantification of rodent muscle; and performing muscle function testing on living research animals and/or excised muscle. Vendor will ensure compliance with all regulatory standards are met according to UF and VA IACUC protocols and will provide evidence of these approvals, upon request.
Funding Source: " Locomotor Training with Anabolic Adjuvants for Musculoskeletal Recovery after SCI." VA Merit Grant # I01RX002447-01A2, PI - Joshua F. Yarrow
Vendor Contact:
University of Florida
Division of Sponsored Research
207 Grinter Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611-5500
Crista Stout
Phone number: (352) 294-5357
The principal VA investigator on this research study is Joshua F. Yarrow, MS, PhD for Research Service.
Terms: The projected performance period is a Base Year Contract with 4 annual options.
Skill Set: The vendor will perform the molecular biology-based assessments, immunohistochemistry-based assessments, and rodent muscle function testing procedures.
Molecular biology-based assessments of rodent muscle, blood, and/or other tissue. This involves performing any combination of the following: (1) mRNA extraction and quantification from rodent muscle, blood, and/or other tissue, (2) quantifying IGF-1 or its variants in rodent muscle, blood, and/or other tissue via immunoassay, Western blotting, or another highly scientific technique, (3) assessing anabolic and catabolic molecular signaling pathways in rodent muscle, blood, and/or other tissue that are influenced by IGF-1 variants or by other treatments via Western blotting or another highly scientific technique.
Immunohistochemistry-based assessment, visualization, and quantification of rodent muscle. This involves the following: (1) slicing of previously frozen muscle samples using a cryostat or similar device, (2) staining sliced muscle samples for laminin, myosin heavy chain (MHC) I, MHC IIa, MHC IIx, MHC IIb, DAPI and/or other appropriate primary and secondary antibodies to assess muscle fiber-type, centrally-nucleated fibers, and other outcomes of interest, and (3) image acquisition and quantification of muscle fibers within each sample with Semiautomatic Muscle Analysis using Segmentation of Histology (SMASH) or another similar program.
Rodent muscle function testing. This involves performing in situ muscle function testing on living (anesthetized) research animals and/or isolated (ex vivo) muscle function testing on excised rodent muscle. In situ muscle function testing (on live research animals) must be performed according to existing UF and VA IACUC protocols that were established for the purpose of receiving and testing live research animals from VA research investigators. Testing will be performed using an Aurora Scientific 1305A in situ muscle mechanics system or similar system that is mutually agreed upon. Ex vivo (isolated) muscle function testing will be performed according to existing protocols, using an Aurora Scientific 1205A isolated muscle testing system or similar system that is mutually agreed upon. Outcomes that will be obtained are maximum tetanic force, time to peak tension, half-relaxation time and/or other measures necessary to assess in situ and/or ex vivo muscle force mechanics.
THIS IS A NOTICE TO SOLE SOURCE AND NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number is 541714.
Todd Pappas
todd.pappas@va.gov
todd.pappas@va.gov
