Biological physics

News and Updates

Sneezes, Rain Clouds and Ink Jets: NIST Improves the Ability of Optical Microscopes to Measure the Volume of Microdroplets

December 20, 2021

Sneezes, rain clouds, and ink jet printers: They all produce or contain liquid droplets so tiny it would take several billion of them to fill a liter bottle

Neutrons Help Measure Cell Membrane Viscosity — and Reveal Its Basis

August 12, 2021

We now have a clearer picture of the lightning-fast molecular dance occurring within the membrane that encloses each cell in our body, revealed in part by

Identifying Individual Molecules: NIST Study Suggests How to Build a Better ‘Nanopore’ Biosensor

April 27, 2021

Researchers have spent more than three decades developing and studying miniature biosensors that can identify single molecules. In five to 10 years, when such

Projects and Programs

Measurement Techniques for Membranes and Membrane Proteins

Ongoing

Synthetic cell membrane constructs allow the simplification and complete control of a more complicated cellular system, as well as the incorporation of selected

State-resolved Spectroscopy of Biomolecules

Ongoing

Sensitive and fully state resolved spectroscopic methods in the terahertz (THz) and ultraviolet (UV) regions are being developed to investigate the structure

X-ray computed tomography (CT)

Ongoing

Current work in x-ray computed tomography centers on diffraction effects in micro CT and computed tomography of integrated circuit interconnects.

Large-Scale Genotype-Phenotype Landscape Measurements for Precision Engineering of Living Measurement Systems

Ongoing

All living things measure their environment, make decisions, and respond. Systematic re-engineering of these living measurement and control systems has the

Publications

Measuring Excess Heat Capabilities of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Folding at the Single-Molecule LEvel

January 3, 2022

Author(s)

David Nicholson, Bin Jia, David Nesbitt

HDX-MS and MD simulations provide evidence for stabilization of the IgG1— FcγRIa (CD64a) immune complex through intermolecular glycoprotein bonds

December 8, 2021

Author(s)

Kyle Anderson, Kerry Scott, Christina Bergonzo, Ioannis Karageorgos, Elyssia Gallagher, Venkata Tayi, Michael Butler, Jeffrey W. Hudgens

Previous reports present different models for the stabilization of the Fc—FcγRI immune complex. Although accord exists on the importance of L235 in IgG1 and

Modulation of a protein-folding landscape revealed by AFM-based force spectroscopy notwithstanding instrumental limitations

December 7, 2021

Author(s)

Devin T. Edwards, Marc-Andre LeBlanc, Thomas Perkins

Nanopore sensing: a physical-chemical approach

September 1, 2021

Author(s)

Joseph W. Robertson, Madhav Ghimire, Joseph Reiner

Protein nanopores have emerged as an important class of sensor, for the understanding of biophysical processes, such as molecular transport across membranes

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: Quantitative Hyperspectral Infrared Microscopy

The new beamline 10, currently under construction, is intended for applications that make use of the super-thermal brightness from SURF in the near- to mid