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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...

Square gray cube with two square holes in it and a gold square in between the holes, and a dark brown coffee bean leaning against the cube.

NIST Announces 2021 R&D Opportunities for Small Businesses

February 10, 2021

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced its fiscal year 2021 Small Business...

four scientists standing, facing each other, collaborating on a new device

Accelerating Ideas Toward Commercialization

February 9, 2021

The start of the new year in the Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) brings with it innovative ideas and projects pushing the TPO and NIST mission forward. One...

NIST Publishes a Beginner’s Guide to DNA Origami

January 8, 2021

In a technique known as DNA origami, researchers fold long strands of DNA over and over again to construct a variety of tiny 3D structures, including miniature...

NIST Software Tool Improves Your Doctor’s Vaccination Advice

December 21, 2020

Behind the scenes at your doctor’s office, there’s a complicated set of information that your providers have to absorb before telling you which vaccinations to...

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...

Plot graph shows dark purple block at left with areas growing lighter green to the right.

Nanocylinder Vibrations Help Quantify Polymer Curing for 3D Printing

December 10, 2020

In a step toward making more accurate and uniform 3D-printed parts such as personalized prosthetics and dental materials, researchers at the National Institute...

A new twist on measuring spin: NIST Develops Microresonator to Study Electron Spin in Small Volumes

November 17, 2020

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a device to detect a quantum property of electrons, known as spin, in...

New Airflow Videos Show Why Masks With Exhalation Valves Do Not Slow the Spread of COVID-19

November 10, 2020

Many people wear masks in public to slow the spread of COVID-19, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, masks with...

A medical worker administers a nasal swab test to a person in a car.

NIST Innovation Could Improve Detection of COVID-19 Infections

October 5, 2020

A multidisciplinary research team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a way to increase the sensitivity of the primary...

A fire burns along the ground at the edge of a wooded area.

NIST Awards More Than $4 Million to Small Businesses for Innovations in AI, Wildfire Forecasting and More

October 1, 2020

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded 19 small businesses in 12 states a total...

woman holding a North American Atlantic salmon

Spotlight: The Trek North for Precious Mucus Hormones in Salmon

September 23, 2020

Something smells fishy, and NIST postdoctoral researcher Erin Legacki is on the job to figure out what’s happening. The North American Atlantic salmon has seen...

A man in safety goggles gives a thumbs-up while sitting at a computer.

Spotlight: Theorizing Between Postdoc and Adviser About the Future of DNA Origami

September 22, 2020

Some assembly required — NIST postdoctoral researcher Jacob Majikes takes the smallest fragments of life and combines them into new structures ... or rather...

NIST Scientists Get Soft on 3D Printing

September 22, 2020

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new method of 3D-printing gels and other soft materials. Published in...

The Genome Editing Consortium

August 20, 2020

Genome editing is the manipulation of the genetic material of a living organism by deleting, replacing, or inserting a DNA sequence, typically with the aim of...

Making the DNA Melt Curve More Accurate

August 18, 2020

DNA is not only the blueprint of life; it has become the backbone for making tiny structures that can be inserted into the human body to diagnose and treat...

A Crazier Crazy Straw for Science

July 28, 2020

What do the loopy straws that children like to sip drinks through have in common with cutting-edge science? Ask Ryan Murphy and his colleagues at the National...

woman stands at mass spectrometer machine

NIST Expands Database That Helps Identify Unknown Compounds in Milk

July 27, 2020

Got milk? Most people have seen the famous ads featuring celebrities that highlight the importance of drinking milk for building strong bones. Research shows...

Shrinking (Ultra)Violet

July 21, 2020

While awaiting full access to their labs due to COVID-19 restrictions, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have taken this...

Micrograph shows coiled fibers on yellow background with inset of lighter yellow square.

Face Coverings Made From Layered Cotton Fabric Likely Slow the Spread of COVID-19 Better Than Synthetics, New Study Finds

June 29, 2020

Researchers have completed a new study of how well a variety of natural and synthetic fabrics filter particles of a similar size to the virus that causes COVID...

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

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