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Projects/Programs

Displaying 176 - 200 of 214

Resonating Platforms for Microbial, Environmental, and Materials Sensing

Ongoing
The high sensitivity of resonating piezoelectric crystals to surface perturbations has led to quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) being widely used to measure changes in mass of thin films and adhered nanoparticles or cells. This project proceeds beyond this traditional sensing approach with quartz

RMAT Laboratory Programs

Ongoing
Examples of Current Activities: Cell Counting and viability are key measurements critical for decision making from R&D to manufacturing. We recently developed an approach for evaluating the quality of cell counting measurements through experimental design and statistical analysis that does not

RNA Computation and Metrology for Engineering Biology

Ongoing
RNA computation RNA computation, i.e., programmed interactions between RNA molecules that process information, is an increasingly useful synthetic biology tool with applications spanning in vitro biosensing, synthetic cells, and cellular control. We have developed cotranscriptionally encoded RNA

SARS-CoV-2 Research Grade Test Material

Completed
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a synthetic RNA material for SARS-CoV-2 in June 2020. The goal was to rapidly produce a material to support molecular diagnostic testing applications. This material, referred to as Research Grade Test

Serology and Neutralization Assays for COVID-19

Ongoing
Multiplexed bead-based SARS-CoV-2 serological assay We have developed a validated multiplexed bead-based SARS-CoV-2 serological assay that measures different antibodies produced by a patient (IgG, IgM, IgA). In collaboration with the NIST Applied and Computational Mathematics Division, we have

Single-Cell Manipulation and Measurement

Ongoing
Mammalian cells are an important source material for applications in regenerative medicine, gene therapy, engineering biology, and genome editing. Traditional tools for manipulating mammalian cells operate at a bulk cell population level without precision manipulation of individual cells

Single-molecule biosensors

Ongoing
We are developing new tools to investigate the energy landscape of single-molecule sensors. Our goal is to apply a wide-ranging array of technologies to probe the critical physicochemical properties of nanopore biosensors. These properties include the free energy of confinement for polymers as they

SMART Contrast Agents

Ongoing
Work on smart agents is focused on developing new micro- and nanoparticle- based contrast agents for MRI and new MR imaging and sensing schemes. These include synthetic antiferromagnet nanoparticles as potential new contrast agents, high-moment iron microparticles for enhanced T2* contrast for in

Standards Development to Ensure Reliable Breath Analysis in the Field

Ongoing
Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been identified in human breath. These compounds can be produced by the body or by organisms in the body (e.g., bacteria or viruses) and provide a non-invasive window into human health. Inexpensive point-of-care devices are being developed to diagnose

Standards for Metagenomics

Ongoing
Metagenomics is a powerful technology combining high-throughput (a.k.a. “next-generation”) sequencing with advanced bioinformatics to identify and quantify mixtures of organisms in a sample. Metagenomics workflows consist of 4 main steps: Sample collection: location, amount, storage, etc. Extraction

Standards to Support Biological Detection in the Field

Ongoing
NIST is working in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) to develop methods, guidance, standards, and reference materials to support and improve our Nation's ability to detect and respond to suspected biothreat incidents. Specific

Standards to Support Biothreat Detection

Ongoing
Since 9/11 and the subsequent anthrax attacks in 2001, suspicious white powder incidents continue to occur within the US, often requiring Federal law enforcement response. Suspect samples are sent to public health laboratories for confirmatory evaluation, which can take hours to weeks to receive

Stem Cell Metrology: WSDOM

Ongoing
Stem cells are critical starting materials for advanced therapies and diagnostic devices. The most commonly used are induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) which can be created with any individual’s skin cells, and then can be coaxed to become cells for any tissue of the body. Therapies and

Steroid Hormone Suite Analysis

Ongoing
Steroid hormones are signaling molecules that are major regulators of development, reproduction, stress, and growth. Steroids are synthesized from cholesterol through a series of enzymes, resulting in hormones with distinct biological activities. Although hormones are similar in structure, and

Storage Stability of Freeze-Dried Proteins

Completed
Intended Impact Work in this project will enable industry to develop rational formulation approaches for freeze-drying, thus facilitating the manufacture safer, longer lasting biopharmaceuticals, with less time and resource cost required for stabilization. Biopharmaceuticals are the fastest growing

Surrogate protein particle standards

Ongoing
Intended Impact This work will enable industry to obtain accurate, reproducible counts of protein particles, and to differentiate protein particles from other particle types, resulting in greater drug efficacy and safety. Objectives Create a polydisperse suspension of polymer particles that mimic

Synthetic Biology

Ongoing
New measurement methods and tools are required for biology to emerge fully as an enabling, practical platform for engineering. The Cellular Engineering Group works to provide a foundation of measurement assurance to support the control and rational design of biological function. Through state of the

Synthetic Fecal Metabolite Calibrant Solution (RGTM 10212)

Ongoing
Metabolomics is an exciting and dynamic field in life sciences that harnesses cutting-edge technologies to identify and characterize small molecules, or metabolites, within cells, tissues, or organisms, collectively known as the metabolome. The wealth of evidence in the literature underscores the

U.S. TAG for ISO/TC276: Biotechnology

Ongoing
Get involved: Interested U.S. Stakeholders may participate in the US TAG at no cost. Membership provides access to all ISO/TC 276 and US TAG documents, including standards under development. Please click here to join. Contribute to standards development: Please click here to review, submit comment

Tandem Mass Spectral Library

Ongoing
Intended Impact Modern mass spectrometers commonly generate ions by electrospray mass spectrometry which are separated and then fragmented by collisional dissociation. This process yields fragment ion ‘fingerprints’ (or mass spectra) that are widely used to identify the individual components in a

Targeting Membrane Proteins

Ongoing
Membrane proteins constitute approximately 30% of all cellular proteins. Nevertheless, this group of proteins is traditionally understudied due to limitations of the available analytical tools. Given the importance of membrane proteins in the various cellular processes and their potential as drug