Biochemical and Exposure Science Group

Projects and Programs

Comparative Mammalian Proteome Aggregator Resource (CoMPARe) Program

Ongoing

NIST is developing a portal to enable researchers to mine high-quality proteomic data from phylogenetically diverse species, to identify advantageous biological

Comparative Serum Proteomics Project

Ongoing

Initially the Comparative Mammalian Proteome Aggregator Resource (CoMPARe) Program will generate proteomic data from sera from 25 different species that

Consistency Analysis and Uncertainty in ‘omic Data

Ongoing

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

Development of NIST Reference Materials for Untargeted Metabolomics, Lipidomics and Proteomics

Ongoing

The use of metabolite, lipid, and protein profiles for systems biology, biomedical research, and clinical applications has risen dramatically over recent years

Publications

Glycosylation and the global virome

October 10, 2022

Author(s)

Cassandra Pegg, Benjamin Schulz, Ben Neely, Gregory Albery, Colin Carlson

The sugars that coat the outsides of viruses and host cells are key to successful disease transmission, but they remain understudied compared to other molecular

compareMS2 2.0: An Improved Software for Comparing Tandem Mass Spectrometry Datasets

September 29, 2022

Author(s)

Rob Marissen, Jeroen Laros, Josef Rasinger, Madhushri Varunjikar, Ben Neely, Magnus Palmblad

It has long been known that biological species can be identified from mass spectrometry data alone. Ten years ago, we described a method and software tool

Towards a North Pacific Ocean long-term monitoring program for plastic pollution: A review and recommendations for plastic ingestion bioindicators

August 6, 2022

Author(s)

Matthew Savoca, Susanne Kühn, Chengjun Sun, Stephanie Avery-Gomm, Anela Choy, Sarah Dudas, Sanghee Hong, David Hyrenbach, Tsung-Hsien Li, Connie Ka-yan Ng, Jennifer Provencher, Jennifer Lynch

Marine debris is now a ubiquitous component of the Anthropocene global ocean. Plastic ingestion by marine wildlife was first reported in the 1960s and since

Levels and profiles of perfluorinated alkyl acids in liver tissues of birds with different habitat types and trophic levels from an urbanized coastal region of South Korea

August 1, 2022

Author(s)

Sang Hee Hong, Jessica L. Reiner, Mi Jang, Stacy Schuur, Gi Myung Han, John Kucklick, Won Joon Shim

Contamination status and characteristics of perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs) including perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluorinated sulfonic

News and Updates

A large turtle lies on a rocky beach with surf in the background.

Scientists Identify Potential Bioindicators for Monitoring Plastic Pollution in the North Pacific Ocean

August 15, 2022

Key marine species can serve as bioindicators to measure how much plastic exists in different ocean regions.

A researcher stands on a boat reaching for a cable holding a grabber device.

NIST Releases Great Lakes Sediment Material for Measuring Organic Pollutants

November 23, 2021

People who live near the Great Lakes might go there to enjoy a swim or a boat ride. But if you’re visiting from the National Institute of Standards and

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

Awards

2021 - Allen V. Astin Measurement Science Award---Lee Yu, Clay Davis, Savelas A. Rabb

For advancing the metrology of arsenic, and for the development of SI-traceable arsenic SRMs, needed to ensure human health and food safety worldwide.

2021 - Colleagues' Choice Award---Ashley Boggs

For outstanding advocacy, leadership and devotion to the forward progress of "One NIST" in science, equity, diversity and inclusion.

2021 - Distinguished Mentoring Award---Jennifer Lynch

For mentoring and inspiring generations of young scientists to pursue the research they love, helping and inspiring them every step of the way.

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

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."