News and Updates

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A laboratory technician wearing gloves, a mask and a lab coat holds a dropper over a vial with liquid that is held in the other hand. There are digital images floating around the center of the image as if seen on an invisible screen. The dropper is not exactly lined up with the opening of the vial, indicating that we are looking at the moment after the task of putting the liquid from the dropper into the vial is done and now the digital analysis will take place.

NIST Report Outlines Strategic Opportunities to Advance Forensic Science in the U.S.

September 4, 2024

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published Strategic Opportunities to Advance Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward

An open gray box filled with circuitry, wires, sensors and a single-board computer sits outside on a lawn.

Spotlight: Monitoring Carbon Dioxide Measurements During a Solar Eclipse

April 22, 2024

Researchers were curious as to whether their sensors would detect any changes to the concentration of CO2 during the eclipse.

NIST Upgrades Tech for Monitoring Methane Emissions

January 16, 2024

Understanding and accurately measuring greenhouse gas emissions can help policymakers to craft better-informed policies to reduce them.

Person pours a cream-colored liquid alongside a shoeprint in the dirt.

Spotlight: Forensics Videos and App for Collecting Trace Evidence

January 8, 2024

When it comes to crime scene investigation, a lot needs to happen behind the scenes so that judges and juries can trust the validity of evidence presented at

A man wearing safety glasses and sitting at a computer workstation reaches into a box with wiring and circuitry.

Spotlight: Measuring a City’s Carbon Footprint With NIST Researcher Tyler Boyle

September 25, 2023

The path that brought Tyler Boyle to NIST has been anything but straight and predictable.

Researchers Analyze THC in Breath of Cannabis Smokers

May 22, 2023

Distinguishing between recent use and past use remains an elusive goal.

A person in a baseball cap and face mask stands at a computer surrounded by scientific equipment, including a curving black plastic tube.

Animal Tranquilizer Floods Illicit Drug Markets in Maryland

March 16, 2023

NIST study shows alarming changes in the illegal drug supply.

A diagram showing the the teeth of the upper and lower human jaws, with central incisors, lateral incisors, canines, premolars and molars appearing in different colors.

Forensic Bitemark Analysis Not Supported by Sufficient Data, NIST Draft Review Finds

October 11, 2022

NIST scientific foundation reviews address issues of accuracy, reliability and validity in forensic science.

A fired cartridge case and a fired bullet.

Two New Forensic Firearm Examination Standards Added to the OSAC Registry of Approved Standards

August 8, 2022

Registry notches its 100th standard, marking a milestone for the forensic science organization.

NIST Publishes Review of Digital Forensic Methods

May 10, 2022

Report documents the scientific foundations of digital evidence examination and recommends ways to advance the field.

Forensic Science Organization to Draft Standards for Sexual Assault Examinations

July 20, 2021

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic

Landscape view of buildings and lasers scanning the atmosphere

NIST Laser ‘Comb’ Systems Now Measure All Primary Greenhouse Gases in the Air

June 30, 2021

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have upgraded their laser frequency-comb instrument to simultaneously measure three

Forensic Science Internships at NIST – A look at Cannabis Compounds

June 10, 2021

By: Christina Reed Maryam Abdur-Rahman is a Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) intern conducting forensic science research with NIST’s Cannabis team in

NIST Publishes Review of DNA Mixture Interpretation Methods

June 9, 2021

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published DNA Mixture Interpretation: A Scientific Foundation Review. This draft report, which

Carbon Dioxide Sensors in 2 Urban Areas Registered Big Drop in Emissions During COVID-19 Pandemic

June 7, 2021

Carbon dioxide emissions in Los Angeles fell 33% in April of 2020 compared with previous years, as roads emptied and economic activity slowed due to the COVID

Handwriting Examiners in the Digital Age

June 3, 2021

People are writing more than ever with their keyboards and phones, but handwritten notes have become rare. Even signatures are going out of style. Most credit

Man standing next to equipment on top of building during a sunset.

Commerce Building Now Part of NOAA, NIST Weather and Greenhouse Gas Tracking Network

April 19, 2021

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have installed a Doppler lidar

K9 Chemistry: A Safer Way to Train Detection Dogs

December 2, 2020

Trained dogs are incredible chemical sensors, far better at detecting explosives, narcotics and other substances than even the most advanced technological

NIST Launches an Updated Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science

October 1, 2020

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees ( OSAC) for Forensic Science has updated its structure and improved several processes. These changes will enable

Woman uses gas analysis mass spectrometer at NBS for chemical analysis of gas or vapor mixtures

NIST Adds New 'Fingerprints' to Chemical Identification Database

June 17, 2020

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has updated its database of chemical fingerprints, called mass spectra, that are used to identify

Two New Forensic DNA Standards Added to the OSAC Registry

May 12, 2020

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science has placed two new standards covering the interpretation of DNA evidence on its

Bullet fragment is illuminated under microscope lens.

Kennedy Assassination Bullets Preserved in Digital Form

December 5, 2019

In the palm of his hand, Thomas Brian Renegar held two small metal objects that had changed the course of history. Twisted pieces of copper and lead, they were

Dozens of cars waiting in a queue in front of a building with large letters reading, "U.S. Border Inspection Station."

Stopping Fentanyl at the Border: Can Chemical Detectors Help?

November 21, 2019

Large quantities of the synthetic drug fentanyl flow into the country at ports of entry along the Southwest border, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. As

NIST Announces Plans for OSAC 2.0

September 17, 2019

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Today, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science

yellow crime scene tape with the words CRIME SCENE DO NOT ENTER

Houston Forensic Science Center to Voluntarily Adopt OSAC Standards

December 18, 2018

One of the nation’s leading crime laboratories, the Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC), has announced that it will voluntarily adopt standards approved by

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