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Material Measurement Laboratory

News and Updates

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120 Years of Data at NIST

March 2, 2022

In celebration of the 50 th anniversary of the founding of the Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data (JPCRD), two NIST scientists have published a

New Benchmark Could Improve Detection of Genetic Variants Linked to Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Other Diseases

February 7, 2022

The stretches of DNA that differ from person to person, called variants, are a major part of what makes us unique, but they can also put us at greater risk of

Suite of NIST Reference Materials Reflects Supply Chain and Production Stages of Ginseng Supplements

January 25, 2022

Three NIST reference materials of ginseng in different forms support ginseng supplement manufacturers’ analysis of the authenticity and purity of their products

NIST Quality Assurance Program for Dietary Supplement Measurements Open for Registration

January 21, 2022

NIST has revitalized the Dietary Supplement Laboratory Quality Assurance Program (DSQAP) to support the measurement needs of the dietary supplement testing

NIST Food Nutrition and Safety Quality Assurance Program Launches New Exercise

January 21, 2022

The second exercise of the NIST Food Nutrition and Safety Quality Assurance Program (FNSQAP) is underway. FNSQAP helps food laboratories demonstrate measurement

Megan Cleveland with white lab coat and safety glasses in front of a lab bench with pipettes.

RNA Reference Materials Are Useful for Standardizing COVID-19 Tests, Study Shows

January 20, 2022

Scientists track and monitor the circulation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, using methods based on a laboratory technique called polymerase

Ana Barrios poses for a selfie wearing safety glasses.

Spotlight: Ana Barrios Is Listening to Her Gut and Replicating Yours

January 18, 2022

Gut reactions — NIST postdoctoral researcher Ana Barrios is preparing a cell-based model of the human gut for future animal-free experiments with nanoplastics

Collaborating to Design Disinfectant Technology through Light

January 11, 2022

When Babak Nikoobakht arrived at Georgia Tech to begin his PhD studies, he knew the field of research he wanted to devote his academic focus. Babak worked in

Spotlight: Blood Vessels on a Chip for Dental Research and More

January 7, 2022

Here’s something to smile about: We’re creating blood vessels on a chip. Researchers at NIST collaborated with the American Dental Association to 3D-print small

NIST Standard Reference Material Supports Clinical Tests for Common Chronic Diseases

December 20, 2021

NIST has developed its first reference material to aid in the measurement of free fatty acids in human blood serum. Most adults who routinely monitor their

Sneezes, Rain Clouds and Ink Jets: NIST Improves the Ability of Optical Microscopes to Measure the Volume of Microdroplets

December 20, 2021

Sneezes, rain clouds, and ink jet printers: They all produce or contain liquid droplets so tiny it would take several billion of them to fill a liter bottle

Updates to Fundamental Constants Reflect Redefinition of International System of Units

December 16, 2021

The CODATA Task Group on Fundamental Constants recently produced its 2018 update of a self-consistent set of internationally recommended values of the basic

With Fuzzy Nanoparticles, Researchers Reveal a Way to Design Tougher Ballistic Materials

December 13, 2021

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Columbia Engineering have discovered a new method to improve the toughness of

A woman (Diane Nelson) in a mask and lab coat works with plastic test tubes at a lab bench.

Spotlight: Taking a Closer Look at Human Lungs With Postdoctoral Researcher Diane Nelson

December 9, 2021

A breath of fresh air — Diane Nelson recently joined NIST as a postdoctoral researcher, open to opportunities and committed to her craft. The inner workings of

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

Yellowish blades of kelp are growing under the surface of the water.

Spotlight: Harvesting What's Under the Sea for the Dietary Supplement Industry and Environmental Conservation

November 16, 2021

From domestic sludge to hydrogen in titanium, we have many different types of standard reference materials (SRMs) to ensure that industry, academia and

New NIST Reference Material Helps Manufacturers Better Assess Their Biological Drug Products

November 15, 2021

Sugars not only provide nourishment in the food you eat but can also act as biomarkers for detecting disease. When certain types of simple sugars, such as

A woman (Callie Higgins) stands in front of a piece of photopolymerization equipment.

NIST’s Callie Higgins Wins Service to America Medal

October 28, 2021

Callie I. Higgins, a materials research engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has won the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America

NIST pH Standard Reference Material Supports One of Manufacturing’s Most Measured Properties

October 19, 2021

NIST has released a pH reference material in a uniquely stable form for calibrating the instruments used by a wide variety of manufacturers. pH is one of the

A woman wearing safety glasses and a face mask poses with chemistry equipment in the background.

Spotlight: Ashlee Aiello and the Challenge of Cotton

September 28, 2021

The touch, the porosity of cotton, the biopolymer of postdoctoral associate Ashlee Aiello’s life. Cotton is the most abundant biopolymer (naturally produced

Spotlight: Tracking Methylmercury, a Toxic Substance in Natural Waters

August 16, 2021

Mercury — the only metal that exists in liquid form at room temperature — may move like water, but its effect on the environment certainly isn’t replenishing

NIST Reference Material for Hydrogen in Titanium Now in Pin Form

August 16, 2021

Hydrogen in titanium and other metal alloys can cause embrittlement, leading to fractures in manufactured parts. A popular NIST reference material for

Multicolored plastic polymers on a pink background, as shown through a microscope.

Spotlight: The Behavior of Polymers in Our Recycled Plastics

August 10, 2021

Not all plastics are the same, and they don’t all blend together well during recycling. At NIST, researchers are looking for ways to make recycled plastic

NIST’s Reference Material Supports Anti-Doping Efforts in International Sports

August 4, 2021

This summer has been exciting for sports enthusiasts: Many athletic events are back in full swing, and the Olympic Games are finally taking place after being

A man in a lab coat and safety glasses looks up at petri dishes he is holding.

Spotlight: Scott Jackson’s Living in a Microbial World

August 4, 2021

Scott Jackson is not alone in this picture. It’s him, and his microbiome. The human microbiome is defined as all the microbes that live in and on the human body

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