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Material Measurement Laboratory

Biosystems and Biomaterials Division

News and Updates

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NIST, Nonprofit Research Consortium to Develop Safety Tools for Synthetic Biology to Defend Against Potential Misuse of AI

February 16, 2024

The cooperative agreement is the next step in NIST’s fulfillment of the White House Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence.

Illustration shows a gloved hand holding a puzzle piece that fits into the center of a puzzle showing the letter Y.

Researchers Fully Sequence the Y Chromosome for the First Time

August 23, 2023

What was once the final frontier of the human genome — the Y chromosome — has just been mapped out in its entirety.

A hand in a purple glove turns a metal dial on a plate holding tiny vials of purple liquid.

NIST Develops New Nondestructive Method for Assessing Bioengineered Artificial Tissues

May 5, 2023

Real-time technique noninvasively counts the number of live cells in a 3D artificial scaffold.

NIST Develops Yeast Material for Training First Responders on Biothreats

January 4, 2023

Researchers based the material on baker’s yeast because it is harmless and a living biological material.

Molecules Have an Orientation, and Scientists Have a New Way to Measure It

December 8, 2022

Molecular orientation is key to designing better materials.

An illustration of a Scrabble board, including the words "CRISPR," "EDIT," and "TEMPLATE."

Genome Editing Terminology Is Standardized in NIST-Led Effort

August 11, 2022

It’s good to be clear about your intentions, especially if you intend to edit someone’s DNA.

A gloved hand is holding up a small plastic vial labeled "RGTM plasmid."

NIST Develops Genetic Material for Validating Mpox Tests

July 27, 2022

NIST is making the new material freely available to testing laboratories and diagnostic test manufacturers worldwide.

Petri dish holds brown material with several different types of circular microbes.

Spotlight: Going With the Gut for the Future of Health

June 27, 2022

NIST researchers are developing a human gut microbiome reference material.

Where Once Were Black Boxes, NIST’s New LANTERN Illuminates

June 22, 2022

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new statistical tool that they have used to predict protein function.

NIST Study Gives Animal Testing Alternatives a Confidence Boost

May 17, 2022

Researchers at NIST have worked with the CPSC and Inotiv Inc. to produce a new protocol for screening skin allergens.

An open black box with foam inserts holds plastic vials labeled SRM 2917.

NIST Collaborates With EPA to Develop a Standard to Improve Fecal Pollution Measurements in Recreational Waters

April 6, 2022

As we approach summer beach season, you may occasionally encounter a "keep out" sign indicating that the area is temporarily closed. If fecal pollution is

First Complete Human Genome Poised to Strengthen Genetic Analysis, NIST Study Shows

March 31, 2022

Alongside the newly updated human genome, which fills in long-standing gaps to fully spell out the more than 3 billion letters that compose our genetic code, a

Revamped Design Could Take Powerful Biological Computers From the Test Tube to the Cell

March 23, 2022

Tiny biological computers made of DNA could revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat a slew of diseases, once the technology is fully fleshed out. However, 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

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

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

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

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

cartoon cow and chicken using slingshots to fling pairs of entangled photons through a glass of milk and a chicken cutlet

Spotlight: Two Photons Walk Into a Chicken

May 26, 2021

In weird but potentially practical news, NIST researchers headed to the grocery store to find out. Not as a joke, but as a step toward better imaging methods

An illustration of a green sphere made of puzzle pieces against a dark background.

Scientists Create Simple Synthetic Cell That Grows and Divides Normally

March 29, 2021

Five years ago, scientists created a single-celled synthetic organism that, with only 473 genes, was the simplest living cell ever known. However, this bacteria

Spotlight: Putting NIST at the Forefront of Genome Editing

February 23, 2021

We started from the bottom and now we’re here — geneticist and molecular biologist Samantha Maragh brought NIST into a revolution for the biomedical sciences

A scientist stands in front of a book, which represents the human genome, and tries to identify the missing pieces or chapters.

NIST Develops Benchmark for Accurately Detecting Large Genetic Mutations Linked to Major Diseases

June 15, 2020

Many serious diseases, including autism, schizophrenia and numerous cardiac disorders, are believed to result from mutation of an individual’s DNA. But some

Spotlight: Elijah Petersen's Professional Journey in Chemical Toxicity

May 28, 2020

Particles, big or small: NIST’s Elijah Petersen is ready to investigate them all. Walk through the phases of his professional journey in chemical toxicity

A Big Science Framework for Big Genomes

February 4, 2020

In a recent Perspectives article in Nature Communications, NIST’s Elizabeth Strychalski and co-authors from industry and academia offer a framework for

A man (Young Jong Lee) in a red shirt and safety goggles leans over a piece of scientific equipment.

Spotlight: Young Jong Lee

January 18, 2020

What are you made of? With a new measurement technique from NIST’s Young Jong Lee, scientists can answer that question on the cellular level with 100 times more

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