Notice of Intent to Sole Source Ohio State University

Special Notice Special Notice Page 2 of 2 This is a notice of intent to award a sole source contract and is not a request for quotes. The Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of NJ Healthcare System, East Orange VA Medical Center intend to award a Firm Fixed Price (FFP), sole source action to:

Name of Contractor:

Ohio State University Street Address:

1960 Kenny Road City, State, Zip: Columbus, Ohio The objective of this action is to enter into a medical sharing agreement for cardiopulmonary health and environmental exposures research related to Veterans concerns about exposure to airborne hazards and open burn pits.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1215 Standards for Veterans Health Administration Centers of Excellence , the VA s Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) research necessitates preclinical models to assess the inter- and transgenerational effects of exposure. The Ohio State University and the Dr. Loren Wold laboratory specifically is uniquely designed to address these research questions.

Competition for this action is being restricted due to the universities credentials, facilities and exposure system. The University has received AAALAC accreditation since 1966 for the total laboratory animal care program and facilities.

The mission of ULAR is to ensure the humane care and use of animals used for biomedical research and teaching at The Ohio State University, ensure compliance with federal laws and guidelines related to animal use, and promote the responsible use of animals for the benefit of society.

ULAR supports the University's large, consolidated animal care program with over 140,000 sq. ft. of research space supporting 11 colleges, 7 schools, the Graduate School, and Ohio State s Comprehensive Cancer Center James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. Generally, there are over 400 principal investigators with more than 1500 active animal research projects. Animal facilities near campus are located on Ohio State s campus in Columbus and in Worthington.

Although the animal care program is consolidated and centralized, the ULAR animal facilities are decentralized to users. Animals are placed into their respective facilities based on the veterinary care and housing support required of the particular research. The Wold laboratory houses the OSU Environmental Exposure facility, in which there is a large capacity for exposure of ~200 mice.

We utilize a customize particle enrichment system in which ambient air from outside the building located on 12th Ave. is pumped into a collision apparatus with controlled humidity and temperature. This air is then diverted towards mice in a modified SciReq inExpose system and then filtered. For control animals, the air is diverted through HEPA filters to remove all particles. We have dedicated laboratory staff and veterinary care for animals undergoing PM exposure.

In addition to the substantial resources and expertise described above, there is unique expertise at The Ohio State University (Wold Laboratory) to understand the cardiovascular effects of air pollution exposure. Some examples highlighting the unique expertise of this group includes the following:

Sun Q, Hong X, Wold LE. Cardiovascular effects of ambient particulate air pollution exposure. Circulation. 2010 Jun 29;121(25):2755-65. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.893461. Review.

PubMed PMID: 20585020;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2924678. Wold LE, Ying Z, Hutchinson KR, Velten M, Gorr MW, Velten C, Youtz DJ, Wang A, Lucchesi PA, Sun Q, Rajagopalan S. Cardiovascular remodeling in response to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution. Circ Heart Fail. 2012 Jul 1;5(4):452-61. doi: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.112.966580.

Epub 2012 Jun 1. PubMed PMID: 22661498;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3617499. Backes CH, Nelin T, Gorr MW, Wold LE. Early life exposure to air pollution: how bad is it?. Toxicol Lett. 2013 Jan 10;216(1):47-53. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2012.11.007. Epub 2012 Nov 16. Review.

PubMed PMID: 23164674;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3527658. Velten M, Gorr MW, Youtz DJ, Velten C, Rogers LK, Wold LE. Adverse perinatal environment contributes to altered cardiac development and function. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2014 May;306(9):H1334-40. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00056.2014.

Epub 2014 Mar 7. PubMed PMID: 24610916;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4010669. Farmer SA, Nelin TD, Falvo MJ, Wold LE. Ambient and household air pollution: complex triggers of disease. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2014 Aug 15;307(4):H467-76. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00235.2014. Review.

PubMed PMID: 24929855;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4137122. Gorr MW, Velten M, Nelin TD, Youtz DJ, Sun Q, Wold LE. Early life exposure to air pollution induces adult cardiac dysfunction. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2014 Nov 1;307(9):H1353-60. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00526.2014.

Epub 2014 Aug 29. PubMed PMID: 25172901;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4217011. Bhatt DP, Puig KL, Gorr MW, Wold LE, Combs CK. A pilot study to assess effects of long-term inhalation of airborne particulate matter on early Alzheimer-like changes in the mouse brain. PLoS One. 2015;10(5):e0127102. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127102. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25992783;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4439054. Gorr MW, Youtz DJ, Eichenseer CM, Smith KE, Nelin TD, Cormet-Boyaka E, Wold LE. In vitro particulate matter exposure causes direct and lung-mediated indirect effects on cardiomyocyte function. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2015 Jul 1;309(1):H53-62. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00162.2015.

Epub 2015 May 8. PubMed PMID: 25957217;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4491518. Tanwar V, Gorr MW, Velten M, Eichenseer CM, Long VP 3rd, Bonilla IM, Shettigar V, Ziolo MT, Davis JP, Baine SH, Carnes CA, Wold LE. In Utero Particulate Matter Exposure Produces Heart Failure, Electrical Remodeling, and Epigenetic Changes at Adulthood. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Apr 11;6(4). doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.005796.

PubMed PMID: 28400369;

PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5533043. to procure reagents and services for existing Roche equipment at the East Orange VA Medical Center. In accordance with FAR Part 13.106-1(b), it has been determined that only one source is reasonably available and therefore limits this requirement to a brand name only procurement. This notice of intent to sole source with justification for brand name only satisfies the public posting requirements of FAR 13.501.

Market research was conducted in accordance with FAR part 10; Due to the nature of the research being conducted, and specific capabilities/unique expertise of Ohio State University researchers, Ohio State University is understood to be the only institution able to provide the requested support. This notice is not a request for quotes; however, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement which shall be considered by the Government.

All capability statements must be received by no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on May 31, 2024. Responses to be submitted to Lindsay Goldsmith, Contracting Officer at lindsay.goldsmith@va.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.