News and Updates

Displaying 1 - 25 of 112

View from near ceiling shows NCNR guide hall filled with big pieces of scientific equipment, including several long cylindrical "guides" running toward the far end of the room.

New Report Highlights Economic Value of Neutron Science to U.S. Industry

September 5, 2024

Research using neutron beams provides an economic return far larger than the cost of building and operating neutron facilities, according to an economic impact...

Cells’ Electric Fields Keep Nanoparticles at Bay, Scientists Confirm

January 23, 2024

The surprisingly strong effect could have implications for drug design and delivery.

NCNR Comprehensive Cooperative Agreement Program

March 15, 2023 - May 15, 2023

The NIST Center for Neutron Research is seeking competitive applications from eligible applicants for activities that will advance the research of NCNR users...

NRC Authorizes Restart of NIST Research Reactor

March 10, 2023

NIST will soon begin a careful restart process and low-power testing.

Black and white micrograph shows tiny white panels standing parallel to form small squares on a dark background.

Spotlight: Zebra-Striped Structures to Twist Neutrons and Extend Researchers’ Vision

November 22, 2022

What are these microscopic zebra-striped squares, and why did scientists painstakingly arrange more than 6 million of them on a silicon plate just half a...

This Simple Material Could Scrub Carbon Dioxide From Power Plant Smokestacks

November 2, 2022

An easily synthesized chemical filter could stop the greenhouse gas from reaching the atmosphere.

Facility restart update

September 6, 2022

Based on my assessment of (1) the relative merits of each scenario (install D2 cold source and upgrade guides ASAP vs. wait for NRC permission to restart the...

Alex Grishaev leans over a counter full of scientific equipment, looking down at his work.

Spotlight: NIST Researchers Analyze the Novavax Vaccine From Multiple Angles

August 29, 2022

A team of three NIST researchers, each with unique expertise, is studying a vaccine developed by biotech company Novavax for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes...

Director's update on restart status, 08/23/2022

August 23, 2022

NCNR Director, Rob Dimeo, hosted a town hall for the user community on August 23, 2022. Details about the restart were discussed as well as updates on the...

External Subject Matter Reports on the Feb 3, 2021 Incident

August 15, 2022

Following the Feb. 3, 2021, incident in which a fuel element in NIST’s research reactor was damaged, NIST retained external, independent subject matter experts...

NRC Issues Confirmatory Order on 2021 Alert at NIST Center for Neutron Research

August 2, 2022

The order outlines corrective actions NIST will take in response to the unplanned 2021 reactor shutdown.

Illustration shows purple circle representing SeedGel with temperature readout to the right in a blue box.

Novel Gel Proves Itself to Be Highly Tunable Color Filter

June 27, 2022

Neutron research at NIST reveals the secret to a gel’s unusual ability to precisely filter light.

NCNR Update to the Scientific Community

April 5, 2022

Rob Dimeo presented an update to the NCNR User Community at 2pm on April 5, 2022 where he gave updates on recent NRC reports and discussed recovery activities...

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Releases Special Inspection Report on 2021 Alert at the NIST Research Reactor

March 16, 2022

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has released a final report of its special inspection of the Feb. 3, 2021, alert at the National...

Oct. 4 Update on the NCNR: Root Cause Analysis and Safety Review Submitted to NRC

October 4, 2021

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has submitted two reports and supplemental information on the Feb. 3...

Scientists Discover Crystal Exhibiting Exotic Spiral Magnetism

August 19, 2021

An exotic form of magnetism has been discovered and linked to an equally exotic type of electrons, according to scientists who analyzed a new crystal in which...

Neutrons Help Measure Cell Membrane Viscosity — and Reveal Its Basis

August 12, 2021

We now have a clearer picture of the lightning-fast molecular dance occurring within the membrane that encloses each cell in our body, revealed in part by...

May 6, 2021, Update on the Status of the NCNR

May 6, 2021

Preliminary results of an ongoing internal analysis by the National Institute of Standards of Technology (NIST) indicate that inadequacies in training and...

April 15 Update on the Status of the NCNR

April 15, 2021

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has released its interim special inspection report on the Feb. 3, 2021, event at the NIST Center for Neutron Research...

Update on the NIST Center for Neutron Research Alert on Feb. 3, 2021

March 2, 2021

NOTE: The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) reactor remains shut down, and all measurements confirm that the public and environment have remained safe...

The contrasting interiors of previous gels and the new seed gel show the different respective locations of their nanoparticles. Below we see representations of four different applications: filtration, smart windows, battery technology and tissue engineering.

Nanoparticle Gel Unites Oil and Water in Manufacturing-Friendly Approach

February 10, 2021

Oil and water may not mix, but adding the right nanoparticles to the recipe can convert these two immiscible fluids into an exotic gel with uses ranging from...

Update on the Status of the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)

February 5, 2021

The research reactor on NIST’s Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus is shut down and in a safe state. It will remain in shutdown status until the cause of the...

NIST Statement on February 3, 2021, Alert at the NIST Center for Neutron Research

February 3, 2021

At approximately 9:15 a.m. EST, Feb. 3, 2021, staff at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) responded to an...

A red cylinder made of lipids has five protruding multicolored proteins.

NIST Clarifies Structure of Prospective Vaccine for Respiratory Virus

December 16, 2020

No approved vaccine exists for RSV, a life-threatening virus that attacks the respiratory system. State-of-the-art neutron and X-ray scattering performed at the...

Spotlight: The Scope of Yamali Hernandez's Impact at NCNR and NIST

October 13, 2020

Know much about neutrons? The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) uses the tiny but highly penetrating particles to make all sorts of measurements...

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