SAM_-_Pre-Solicitation__75N94025Q00149_1.pdf

75N94025Q00149

INTRODUCTION

THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS TO AWARD A

CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL OR OPEN COMPETITION.

The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD), in support of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) intends to award a purchase order without providing for full and open competition to AMUZA INC., a Small Business, for TeleFiOpto Wireless Fiber Photometry System Equipment.

BACKGROUND

The goal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Section on Neural Circuits (SNC) is to understand how genetic and environmental insults affect the computation of neural signals within brain networks to cause neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, epilepsy and attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The TeleFiOpto wireless fiber photometry system is critical for our research in the Section on Neural Circuits. Our work aims to understand how the brain functions and how neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and epilepsy disrupt neural activity. These studies often require precise manipulation and recording of brain activity to examine its impact on behavior and symptoms. The TeleFiOpto system enables high-quality, wireless, real-time control and monitoring of neuronal activity with minimal noise and artifacts and has several unique features that are essential to our current research.

JUSTIFICATION

The TeleFiOpto wireless fiber photometry system offers massively improved technology for wireless, real-time, manipulation of neuronal activity. With these improved specifications to help eliminate noise and artefacts, we can optimize the reproducibility and quality of data collected.

Reproducibility and data quality are essential to our research because they ensure that our findings are reliable, interpretable, and meaningful. High-quality data reduce noise and variability, enabling us to detect true biological signals rather than artifacts or random fluctuations. Reproducibility allows us and others to confidently replicate our results across different cohorts, time points, and experimental conditions. This is especially important in translational research, where findings may inform the development of new diagnostics or therapies. If data are inconsistent or irreproducible, conclusions cannot be trusted, and downstream applications may fail. The TeleFiOpto system offers both single fiber and bilateral (two fiber) implants. Each fiber can be illuminated using two different colors of light, allowing for use of stimulation or inhibition and recording Gcamp signaling at the same site. TeleFiopto offers more colors than other wireless systems, which means that TeleFiopto system can be used with more chromophores. Additionally, TeleFiopto can be used in any environment: from small cages to mazes to large rooms. There is no limit to the size of the enclosure and the walls of the enclosure do not need to have special wiring/antennae for TeleFiopto to operate. Together, these features mean that TeleFiopto offers more flexibility in designing optogenetic and fiberphotometry experiments than any other system. More flexibility in

PRE-SOLICITATION NON-COMPETITIVE (NOTICE OF INTENT) SYNOPSIS

designing experiments is critical to our research, and the TeleFiOpto system uniquely enables that flexibility. The multi-color capability significantly expands our ability to use a broader range of optogenetic tools and calcium indicators, offering more nuanced control over neural activity and richer data collection from complex neural populations. In addition, the wireless design and environment-independent operation, requiring no special antennae or cage modifications means that we can conduct experiments in naturalistic settings, from small home cages to large behavioral arenas or mazes. This is particularly important for our translational studies of seizure modulation, where environmental context can influence behavior and brain activity. This adaptability improves the scientific rigor, innovation potential, and translational relevance of our research. TeleFiopto fiber optics are cut to the exact length specified by the user for optimum placement at the target, unlike other systems which are only available in a limited number of lengths. TeleFiopto optical fibers are much narrower than the optrodes used by other systems. TeleFiopto fibers are available with either a blunt tip or an angled micro mirror tip. This way the fiber can be placed either above or next to a target. The combination of these features means that TeleFiopto can be used to stimulate and record brain activity with less surgical trauma to the target and surrounding tissue.

Less surgical trauma to the brain is valuable to our research since it gives us improved physiological integrity, greater data reliability and reproducibility, and higher experimental throughput.

Our lab currently uses equipment from Amuza Inc., and the requested equipment is compatible with our existing setup and will facilitate continuity and direct comparison of data across experiments. This is important for data consistency and comparability as using equipment from the same manufacturer ensures compatibility in hardware and software, which minimizes variability due to instrumentation, and is important for continuity in research since maintaining a consistent equipment platform reduces the need to recalibrate methods, retrain staff, or revalidate protocols, all of which can delay research and introduce error.

To our knowledge, the required TeleFiOpto wireless fiber photometry system is proprietary to Amuza Inc., therefore they are the only source capable of providing the required equipment.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE

The intended procurement is classified under NAICS code 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, size standard in number of employees 1000

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

The resultant contract will include all applicable provisions and clauses in effect through the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Circular (FAC) 2025-04 effective 06/11/2025. This acquisition is conducted under the procedures as prescribed in FAR subpart 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures at an amount not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000) and FAR Subpart 12- Acquisition of Commercial Items.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR 13.106(b)(1) Soliciting from a single source - For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold.

PLACE OF DELIVERY

NIH/NIAAA

Section on Neural Circuits

5625 FISHERS LANE RM TS-06B

ROCKVILLE MD 20852

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

Delivery of all required TeleFiOpto complete set items for optogenetics and fiber photometry components (receivers, software, headstages, controllers, emitters, stimulators, and chargers).

Delivery by 60 Days After Receipt of Order (ARO)

CLOSING STATEMENT

This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability in response to this notice and may submit a capability statement, which shall be considered by the agency. Responses to this notice shall contain sufficient information to establish the interested parties’ bona-fide capabilities for fulfilling the requirement.

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to proceed on a non-competitive basis or to conduct a competitive procurement.

All respondents must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov. All responses to this notice shall be submitted electronically by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, on August, 18th, 2025 to jacob.balenson@nih.gov and shall include pre-solicitation # 75N94025Q00149 in the subject line.