Biological physics

News and Updates

NIST Publishes a Beginner’s Guide to DNA Origami

January 8, 2021

In a technique known as DNA origami, researchers fold long strands of DNA over and over again to construct a variety of tiny 3D structures, including miniature

A new twist on measuring spin: NIST Develops Microresonator to Study Electron Spin in Small Volumes

November 17, 2020

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a device to detect a quantum property of electrons, known as spin, in

Making the DNA Melt Curve More Accurate

August 18, 2020

DNA is not only the blueprint of life; it has become the backbone for making tiny structures that can be inserted into the human body to diagnose and treat

Projects and Programs

National Air-Kerma Standard for Electronic Brachytherapy

The Dosimetry Group has developed a new facility for the calibration of the Xoft miniature x-ray source, which provides low-energy x-rays (< 50 keV) for

Nano-biophotonics for molecular imaging

Biophotonics is at the intersection of photonics and biology where light is used to image, detect, and manipulate biological materials. This project addresses

Protocol for Preparing Fibrillar Collagen Matrices on Untreated Polystyrene Labware (Petri)*: A Potential Reference Extracellular Matrix With Robust and Reproducible Cell Responses

Background: Collagen type 1 is the most prevalent extracellular protein in connective tissue, and is part of the family of collagens that are fibril forming

NIST Cell-Free Workshop

The Cell-Free Workshop sought to identify and prioritize actionable steps towards more reproducible and comparable cell-free systems for practical applications

Publications

Photodynamics of Asymmetric Di-Iron-Cyano Hydrogenases Examined by Time-Resolved Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy

February 10, 2021

Author(s)

Edwin J. Heilweil, Amber Meyers, Christopher J. Stromberg

Two anionic asymmetric Fe-Fe Hydrogenase model compounds containing a single CN and five CO ligands: [Fe2(μ-S2C3H6)(CO)5(CN)1]1− (1) and [Fe2(μ-S2C2H4)(CO)5(CN

Diffusion limitations and translocation barriers in atomically thin biomimetic pores

November 20, 2020

Author(s)

Subin Sahu, Michael P. Zwolak

Ionic transport in nano- to subnano-scale pores is highly dependent on translocation barriers and potential wells. These features in the free-energy landscape

Transparent High-Frequency Ultrasonic Transducer for Photoacoustic Microscopy Application

September 1, 2020

Author(s)

Jeeseong Hwang, Christopher S. Yung, Ruimin Chen, Yun He, Junhui Shi, Lihong Wang, Qifa Zhou

We report the development of an optically transparent high-frequency ultrasonic transducer using lithium niobate single-crystal and indium-tin-oxide electrodes

Construction of a Dual Protease Column, Subzero (-30 °C) Chromatography System and Multi-channel Precision Temperature Controller for Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry

August 12, 2020

Author(s)

Jeffrey Hudgens

This tutorial provides mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, parts lists, stereolithography (STL) files for producing three-dimensional (3D)-printed parts

Software

NIST's Integrated Colony Enumerator (NICE)

January 4, 2021

Enumeration of bacterial colonies on an agar plate is simple in concept, but automated colony counting is difficult due to variations in colony color, size

Tools and Instruments

Beamline 10: Synchrotron radiation-based Fourier-transform infrared spectromicroscopy

At beamline 10 a new experimental end-station for synchrotron radiation-based Fourier-transform infrared spectromicroscopy is under development. Currently the