Biochemical and Exposure Science Group

Projects and Programs

Plastic Pollution Measurement Science

While plastics have yielded immense benefits to society, discarded plastics or plastic pollution has become a pervasive highly visible problem especially in the

Measurement Science of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards & Technology are creating reference materials and data resources to address the per- and polyfluoroalkyl

Consistency Analysis and Uncertainty in ‘omic Data

As ‘omics moves into industrial and commercial applications, there is a need for quality and process control to ensure safety and efficacy of products and

Interlaboratory Comparison Exercises for Organic Contaminants and Trace Elements in Marine Sediments and Tissues

Three separate interlaboratory comparison exercises for environmental contaminants in marine specimens were administered in 2007/2008 by the Chemical Sciences

Publications

Hi-C scaffolded short- and long-read genome assemblies of the California sea lion are broadly consistent for syntenic inference across 45 million years of evolution

June 7, 2021

Author(s)

Claire R. Peart, Christina Williams, Saurabh Pophaly, Jeremy Johnson, Ben Neely, Frances Gulland, David Adams, Bee Ng, William Cheng, Joseph Hoffman, Matthew Breen, Jochen Wolf

With the advent of chromatin-interaction maps, chromosome-level genome assemblies have become a reality for a wide range of organisms. Scaffolding quality is

Environmental Source Tracking of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances within a Forensic Context: Current and Future Techniques

May 13, 2021

Author(s)

Alix E. Robel, Joseph A. Charbonnet, Jennifer L. Guelfo, Jennifer A. Field, Gerrad D. Jones, Christopher P. Higgins, Damian E. Helbling, Erika F. Houtz

The source tracking of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is a new and increasingly important field within environmental forensics. We define PFAS

Surveying the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) serum proteome: a resource for identifying immunological proteins and detecting pathogens

April 10, 2021

Author(s)

Ben Neely, Michael G. Janech, Alison Bland, Brock Fenton, Nancy B. Simmons, Daniel J. Becker

Bats (Order: Chiroptera) are increasingly studied as model systems for longevity and for their ability to seemingly tolerate typically virulent viruses without

Utilization of NIST SRM: A case study for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in NIST SRM 1957 Organic Contaminants in Non-Fortified Human Serum

March 2, 2021

Author(s)

Alix E. Robel, Jessica L. Reiner

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) generates and maintains thousands of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) to serve commerce worldwide

News and Updates

Gold-colored rectangle has circles and screws of various sizes.

Spotlight: One Small Step for SRM 610 Aboard the Mars Perseverance Rover

July 20, 2021

3, 2, 1 … blast off! One of NIST’s very own standard reference materials traveled through space and landed on the Red Planet in February as part of the National

NIST Researchers Use Novel Method to Understand the Molecular Underpinnings of a Tumorlike Disease Affecting Coral Reefs

July 9, 2021

Coral reefs are a favorite spot for scuba divers and are among the world’s most diverse ecosystems. For example, the Hawaiian coral reefs, known as the

A woman (Alix Rodowa) wearing a mask and a lab coat works with scientific equipment.

Spotlight: Alix Rodowa and PFAS in Groundwater

January 15, 2021

Water has fascinated postdoctoral researcher Alix Rodowa since her days in a high school environmental science club. Now, she takes a sample of life at NIST in

A woman wearing safety goggles and a mask poses in front of a cabinet holding vials.

Spotlight: Kathy Peter’s Cross-County Journey Toward NIST Research Into ‘Forever Chemicals’

December 11, 2020

Search, seek and define — NIST postdoctoral researcher Kathy Peter is on a mission to uncover chemical compounds that fall into the category of PFAS (per- and

Awards

Katherine Peter Honored with Morgan Early Career Award

Dr. Peter is a National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Research Chemist with the National Institute of Standards and

2018 - Colleagues' Choice Award---Jessica Reiner

For technology transfer related to per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), resulting in world-class recognition as an expert in PFAS metrology.

2018 - Colleagues' Choice Award---Tracey Schock

For tireless dedication to NIST quality in the bioanalytical field of study called omics, becoming a world-class leader in the field while mentoring students and colleagues.

Press Coverage

NIST research biologist Jennifer M. Keller taking a blood sample from a loggerhead turtle

Study seeks origins of ghost nets that haunt Hawaii’s shores

Associated Press

May 27, 2021

A project to identify the fibers in discarded nets washed ashore can help policy makers address the sources of this pollution that devastates corals and

Microplastics are everywhere — but are they harmful?

Nature

May 4, 2021

" Researchers still can’t agree on whether pollutant-carrying microplastics are a significant problem, says Jennifer Lynch, a marine biologist affiliated with

A large polar bear is jumping from one block of ice to another.

Toxic chemicals banned 20 years ago finally disappearing from Arctic wildlife

Smithsonian

September 6, 2018

NIST measurements helped to demonstrate that concentrations of chemicals phased out according to the Stockholm Convention have decreased in Arctic wildlife.

Larval fish are eating microplastics in the Pacific Ocean

Oceanographic

"A study has found that plastic pieces outnumber larval fish numbers by seven to one in nursery waters off Hawaii."