Complex Microbial Systems Group

The Complex Microbial Systems Group develops advanced measurements and standards for exploitation of microbes to promote human health, precision medicine, advanced manufacturing and other industrial applications. The group uses genomic and metagenomic approaches to improve measurements on microbiomes, and is developing reference materials for assessing the sensitivity and specificity of pathogen detection devices.  Advanced methods including microfluidics, predictive modeling of engineered microbes, bioinformatics and state-of-the-art imaging are being applied to critical areas such as combating antibiotic resistance, food safety, clinical diagnostics, and engineering biology.

Programs

Microbiome

Microbes have essential roles in nearly every ecological niche on Earth, including the human body. The NIST Microbiome Program supports the rapidly growing industries that are developing microbial-based solutions to treat disease, improve human and environmental health, enhance agricultural productivity and food safety, bioremediate waste, produce new biofuels, and avert infrastructure corrosion. Our efforts include:

1. Fecal RM
2. Horizontal Gene Transfer
3. Measurement Bias Characterization (coming soon)
4. Multi’omics (coming soon)
5. Probiotic/bugs as drugs (coming soon)

Pathogen Detection and Biosurveillance

In collaboration with partners and stakeholders, NIST develops standards, methods, and measurement solutions to support the advancement of clinical diagnostics, biothreat detection, recreational water quality monitoring, biomanufacturing quality control, wastewater surveillance, and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Specific projects include:

1. Rapid Microbial Testing Methods
2. Microbial Pathogen Genomic DNA Standards RM8376
3. Mpox Pandemic Surveillance Standards
4. Recreational Water Quality Testing qPCR Standards SRM2917
5. Wastewater Surveillance
6. Antimicrobial Resistance
7. Interlaboratory Studies (coming soon)