Sources Sought Notice Brand Name or Equal TSE Systems IntelliCage-PhenoMaster System Notice Type: Sources Sought NAICS Code: 334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing PSC Code: 6640 Laboratory Equipment and Supplies Introduction: This is a Sources Sought Notice issued solely for market research and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Proposal (RFP), nor does it guarantee a future solicitation or contract award. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking qualified sources that can provide the TSE Systems IntelliCage-PhenoMaster System or an equal product that meets the Government s minimum technical requirements. Background: The IntelliCage-PhenoMaster System is a specialized, integrated behavioral and metabolic phenotyping platform used in preclinical research. It allows for automated, high-throughput monitoring of group-housed rodents in a home-cage environment, minimizing stress and improving data quality. Funds were provided to purchase a TSE Systems IntelliCage-PhenoMaster System that has been customized to provide the necessary components for conducting comprehensive neuro-metabolic toxicological phenotyping in mice to determine the impact of military-associated toxicant exposures on neurocognitive/neuropsychiatric and metabolic disease risk while accelerating testing of interventions to mitigate these risks. Salient Characteristics: 1) Simultaneous testing of behavior in 4 groups of up to 16 mice each (4 IntelliCages), with two acclimation cages (for housing prior to testing). 2) Simultaneous testing of 16 single-housed mice (16 PhenoMaster Cages) for: Energy expenditure (EE) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) (O2 and CO2 sensors) Microbiome activity (H2 and CH4 sensors Food and water intake (with programmable access control) Body weight changes Three-dimensional activity 3) 3 medium Climate Control Chambers (programmable to dynamically control temperature, light, and humidity), one will house 4 IntelliCages, and two will house the PhenoMaster cages (8 each). The number of cages requested allows simultaneous assessments of 4 groups in a 2 x 2 matrix: control vs. toxicant-exposed and placebo vs. intervention. Thus, we will be able to run treatments and controls concurrently, which will facilitate statistical analyses should batch effects emerge. The climate control chambers will allow us to simulate extreme environmental conditions during service-related toxin exposure, that includes high and low temperatures and high and low humidity. The necessary components (model numbers, shown in quote) to allow for detailed NeuroMetabolic Toxicology Studies are grouped below by purpose. Numbers shown in ( ) the quantities of each component required. 1. The main PhenoMaster Cages and Controls: 258000-PM-016-PhenoMaster Control (1) 994620-CSP-WS-16 CaloSys (1) 994620-CSP-SFPC-CaloSys SureFlow (1) 258001-PM-CC-001-PhenoMaster Universal Cage Control(16) 994621-CSM-01-PhenoMaster Climate Sensor (16) 994621-PM-HC-M-TP-PhenoMaster CaloCage Mouse TP Cage(16) 995101-CC-M-AC-NB-115V Climatic Chamber, 8 cages per unit (2) 999901-12-09-Installation / Instruction /initial Training on-site 700600-FI-DISK-01-Filter Disk (5) 700600-FI-SCH-05-Filter Unit 5" (5) These components are the base elements and controlling system of the PhenoMaster cages that allow for the analyses capable with the additional equipment below. These items are required for all PhenoMaster studies. 2. Gas measuring components for RER/EE, 13/12C isotope, and Microbiome: 994620-CS-HSP-03-CaloSys (2) 994620-CS-12/13C-CO2-Gas Sensor (2) 994620-CS-H2-Gas Sensor (2) 994620-CS-CH4AB-Gas Sensor (2) Each sensor listed above can monitor 8 PhenoMaster cages. These components of the PhenoMaster allow for in-depth measurements of metabolism using gas and isotope sensors. This includes: 1) measurements of energy expenditure (EE) to understand whether toxicants increase obesity, fatty liver, and diabetes risk by reducing the burning of calories; 2) measurements of the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) to understand whether toxicants specifically impair the ability to utilize specific macronutrients (carbohydrates or fat); 3) measurements of gases produced by the gut microbiome [hydrogen gas (H2) and methane (CH3)] to provide a functional assessment of the impact of toxicants on the gut microbiome that may also serve as a marker of intervention-mediated improvements in microbiome function; and 4) measurements of stable isotope-labeled substrates that will allow the research team to specifically interrogate whether toxicants induce deleterious changes in metabolic flux that are a marker of diabetes and fatty liver risk as well as potential measures for assessing the utility of targeted interventions. 3. Food/drink body weight and access control: 259999-SEN-DFBW-01-PhenoMaster, for measurement of 3 endpoints per cage: intake of liquid or food or body weight (48) 259999-DRI-BOT-M-PV allowing for two different liquid choices (bottles) per cage 32 259999-FEED-BAS-SP-M-PhenoMaster (16) 259999-FEED-BAS-PP-M-PhenoMaster (16) 259999-AC-M-PhenoMaster Access allowing two different food choices per cage 32 259999-BW-HOUS-M-PhenoMaster (16) These components of the PhenoMaster system will allow us to determine whether toxicants increase or decrease food and/or water intake while also allowing us to quantify how toxicant exposures affect body weight and obesity risk. Furthermore, the controllers included here will allow us to conduct sophisticated studies in which we can control food access, a feature critical in metabolic disease risk for distinguishing between metabolic changes induced by increased food intake versus changes mediated by altered metabolism of food. 4. Three-dimensional activity: 302022-XY-M-PhenoMaster ActiMot3 XY-Frame (16) 302022-Z-M-PhenoMaster ActiMot3 Z-Frame (16) 302022-XYZ-M-TP-PhenoMaster Homecage Template (16) These components will allow us to assess three-dimensional activity, which is important for several reasons: 1) activity burns energy, and these assessments will allow us to ascertain whether toxicants disrupt metabolism by altering energy utilization; 2) activity can be a sign of toxicity; and 3) changes in activity patterns over a 24-hour day (circadian rhythms) can indicate specific pathways of toxicity. 5. IntelliCage System: 290000-SB-2IC-00003-IntelliCage® by NewBehavior Bundle for 2 Intellicage cage setup (includes computer) 290000-EB-2IC-00004-IntelliCage® by NewBehavior Bundle for 2 Intellicage cage extension (2 extension cages to be connected to item 24. acclimation cages 90000-IC-50100-IntelliCage cage body (2) po 290000-IC-HC-2000-IntelliCage® by NewBehavior IntelliCage home-cage set (2) Stand-alone climate chamber for IntelliCages 995101-CC-M-AC-WB-115V Climatic Chamber (1) 258001-PM-SW-EC-PhenoMaster Software License for 1 Environmental Chamber (required for stand-alone chamber system (i.e. not used with PhenoMaster) (1) RS485 Cable (to connect the chamber to the computer) (1) IntelliCage training and installation 999901-12-25-Application Training/remote 999901-12-05-Installation / Instruction/on-site The IntelliCages are a critical component of this system because they will allow us to link neurocognitive function with metabolism, two domains of health increasingly linked to toxicant exposures and each other. The IntelliCages have many marked advantages over our traditional neurocognitive/neuropsychiatric behavioral testing approaches. These include: 1) automated, high-throughput screening protocols that allow for testing of up to 16 mice at the same time; 2) high standardization and reproducibility; 3) reduced operator-dependence, which reducing variability and workload; 4) improved validity due to minimal human interference; 5) programmed, validated behavioral testing paradigms; 6) flexibility to design additional testing schema; 7) testing under group-housed conditions, which reduces testing-induced artifacts from stress; and 8) assessments across the 24-hour day to identify alterations in circadian rhythms of behavior. These advantages result in better data faster, allowing for more toxicants and their interventions to be tested. Submission Instructions: Interested vendors must submit the following information via email to Erica Grimslid at Erica.Grimslid@va.gov no later than October 31, 2025, at 5:00 PM EST: Company name, address, and DUNS/UEI number Business size and socio-economic status (e.g., SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, etc.) Product brochure or technical documentation showing how the proposed item meets or exceeds the salient characteristics Past performance or experience providing similar systems GSA/FSS contract number (if applicable) Disclaimer: This notice is for informational purposes only and does not obligate the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Government will not reimburse any costs associated with responding to this notice. Responses will be used solely to determine the availability of qualified sources.
