Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Gaithersburg

Stylized illustration of a DNA molecule with associated figures that denote analytical measurements

Potential Primary Measurement Tool for the Quantification of DNA

The accurate mass determination of DNA and other nucleic acids is of critical importance in many clinical diagnoses and in forensic and molecular biological

Insights into Polymer Film Instability Could Aid High Tech Industries

January 13, 2009

While exploring the properties of polymer formation, a team of scientists at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has made a fundamental...

Taking the Stress Out of Magnetic Field Detection

January 27, 2009

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered that a carefully built magnetic sandwich that interleaves layers of a...

Single wall carbon nanotubes enclosed in bile acid shells self assembled into a sheaf of long ordered fibrils each composed of several nanotube rods.

'Two-Faced' Bioacids Put a New Face on Carbon Nanotube Self-Assembly

January 13, 2009

Nanotubes, the tiny honeycomb cylinders of carbon atoms only a few nanometers wide, are perhaps the signature material of modern engineering research, but...

Photograph of SRM SRM 1694a sulfur dioxide in nitrogen showing a labeled gas cylinder.

Gas Concentration Standards Supporting Atmospheric Monitoring

Monitoring of Earth’s atmosphere for trace and greenhouse gases relies upon a system of high accuracy gas concentration standards. Greenhouse gases

Photography of gas cylinder storage facility with cylinders stored horizontally in movable cabinets.

Traceable Calibration Gases: SRMs, NTRMs, and Protocol Gases

The Gas Sensing Metrology Group in the Chemical Sciences Division is tasked with providing traceability in gas analysis for the U.S. This group works with

Metrology for Nanolithography

Our goal is to develop measurements that quantify the shape, size, orientation, and fidelity of nanoscale patterns as a platform to quantitatively evaluate

Photograph of an automobile at an emissions testing station, with testing equipment and probe positioned at the car tailpipe.

New Gas Standard Reference Materials to Support the Automotive Industry

The American Industry/Government Emissions Research (AIGER) Consortium is working to facilitate the automobile industry meeting more stringent 2003 Federal Tier

NIST Traceable Reference Material Program for Gas Standards

Two NIST programs provide calibration gas standards with NIST analyses and concentration value assignment: the Standard Reference Material (SRM) program and the

Audit of EPA Protocol Gas Suppliers

EPA Protocol gas mixture calibration standards are obtained by users to measure emissions of regulated gaseous species and ensure that they comply with US

Development of Standards for the World Meteorological Organization, Global Atmosphere Watch Program

The presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which include hydrocarbons, monoterpenes and oxygenates, in the atmosphere has become important to climate

Photograph of the NIST Standard Reference Photometer showing the component modules consisting of optical bench with sample and reference tubes, ozone generator module with controls and tubing, and control module with numeric LED displays.

The NIST Standard Reference Photometer for Ozone Measurement Traceability

The NIST Standard Reference Photometer (SRP), developed jointly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), has provided an infrastructure for the

Photograph showing Gas Pump Octane Options

International Collaborations to Improve the Accuracy of Gas Primary Standards

The Gas Metrology Group periodically participates in bilateral and multi-laboratory international comparisons. During the past two years comparisons have taken

Wordcloud consisting of words CCQM metrology group task etc.

CCQM Activities in the Gas Analysis Working Group

NIST's Chemical Sciences Division Gas Sensing Metrology Group has participated in over 40 Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance-Metrology in Chemistry

CCQM Activities in the Organic Analysis Working Group

NIST's Chemical Sciences Division has participated in over 50  Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance - Metrology in Chemistry (CCQM) Organic Analysis

Renewal of NIST Benchmark SRMs for Accurate Determinations of Trace Elements in Serum and Liver Tissues

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects data on elemental composition of human body fluids and tissues as part of major studies such as

Development of SRMs 2668 and 3668 for Accurate Assessment of Exposure to Toxic Elements and Anions

As part of a multi-year interagency agreement between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Centers for Disease Control and

Photograph of SRM 2669 Arsenic Species in Frozen Human Urine, with vials and desiccant packs, and labeled mylar bag.

Development of SRM 2669 for Accurate Assessment of Arsenic Exposure

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has developed Standard

Development of SRM 955c Toxic Elements in Caprine Blood

Environmental and occupational exposure to toxic metals is assessed through whole blood analysis. Due to advances in instrument technology, clinical

Standards for Immuno-histochemical Imaging: A Biomarker Protein Expression Chip

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is used to visualize antigens in tissue sections by specific antigen-antibody interactions, an advantage over traditionally used

Platforms for measuring properties of electrically addressable semiconductor nanocrystals

In measuring performance of submicron optoelectronic devices, such as lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs), conventional methods are limited to extrapolations

High-Precision Isotopic Reference Materials

Recent innovative advances in the design and manufacture of isotope ratio mass spectrometers (IRMS) have revolutionized the study of natural and man-induced

Electronic Structure and Dynamics in Quantum Materials

Electronic structure information obtained with photoemission-based measurements provides a keystone in understanding emerging materials with potential

Optimization of the Standard Addition Method (SAM) Using Monte Carlo Simulation

The standard addition method (SAM) was first described by oceanographers in 1955 to overcome matrix effects in the determination of strontium in seawater. SAM

Environmental Leaching of Nanoparticles from Consumer Products

Nanoparticle-based consumer products are becoming available in the market at an increasing rate, but the safety of nanoparticles and the environmental fate of

Standard Bullets and Cartridge Cases

When a firearm is fired, it leaves toolmarks on the spent bullet and cartridge case. By analyzing and comparing these toolmark signatures...

NIST Helps Preserve the 500-year-old Waldseemüller Map

December 7, 2007

A hermetically sealed glass and aluminum encasement built by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will protect the first world map to label...

Comparing the Biological Responses of Photoluminescent Silicon Nanoparticles with Silicon Micron-sized Particles

Photoluminescent silicon nanoparticles have a bright and stable fluorescence and are promising candidates for use in bio-imaging, cell staining and drug

Relative Intensity Correction Standards for Fluorescence and Raman Spectroscopy

Luminescence measurements have become the methods of choice for new clinical and biochemical analyses due to their high selectivity and sensitivity. At the same

Decontamination of Biological Threats in Water Supplies

The availability of safe pure drinking water in the United States is taken for granted. The presence of dangerous microorganisms, viruses and toxins in our

Was this page helpful?