Chemical / Biological / Radiological / Nuclear / Explosives (CBRNE)

News and Updates

Woman uses gas analysis mass spectrometer at NBS for chemical analysis of gas or vapor mixtures

NIST Adds New 'Fingerprints' to Chemical Identification Database

June 17, 2020

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has updated its database of chemical fingerprints, called mass spectra, that are used to identify

Six people stand in front of a tan building, cutting a blue ribbon

NIST Unveils New Laboratory Building for Improved National Radiation Measurements

September 24, 2019

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday to unveil a

Unusual Suspects

March 16, 2018

NIST contributes to public safety with materials that increase the confidence of first responders to detect biothreats in the field. NIST’s Material

In Search of ‘Sterile’ Neutrinos

December 9, 2016

Lately, neutrinos – the tiny, nearly massless particles that many scientists study to better understand the fundamental workings of the universe – have been

Projects and Programs

DARPA Friend or Foe (FoF) -- Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

The development of new platforms for characterization of complex microbial samples are hampered by lack of reproducibility and comparability across different

Nanocalorimetry Measurements

Nanocalorimetry provides a capability to measure the thermal properties of very small samples and at very fast rates. Materials and interfaces of interest

Trace Contraband Detection

Screening of people and their belongings including luggage, vehicles, and packages for the presence of trace residues of explosives and narcotics (trace

First responders collecting samples of the yeast surrogate material during a field exercise. (Credit: NIST)

Standards to Support Biothreat Detection

First responders continually receive calls of suspicious materials that are potentially biothreat agents. Obtaining high confidence data from biological

Tools and Instruments

X-ray Backscatter Systems

X-ray backscatter systems are used for the screening of personnel for hidden weapons and other contraband. Unlike conventional radiographic x-ray systems

Cabinet x-ray system

The Smiths Detection 6046si cabinet x-ray system was designed for security screening of bags, parcels and other objects of similar size. The system runs at 160