News and Updates

Displaying 1 - 25 of 61

A woman wearing a lab coat and safety glasses stares into a large microscope.

New NIST Reference Material to Strengthen Quality Control for Biological Drugs

July 31, 2025

Impurities in these drugs can cause undesirable immune responses in patients and can significantly drive up costs for drug manufacturers.

NIST Scientists Use DNA Origami on a Chip to Detect Biomolecules

October 17, 2024

Using strands of DNA to create miniature hinges that pop open or shut when binding to specific molecules, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and...

Now Live: Living Cells Can Be Seen With Infrared Light

September 9, 2024

NIST researchers use new method to measure biomolecules in live cells.

With Some Bumps, NIST Scientists Devise a Novel Way to Extend the Wavelength Range of Microcombs

June 5, 2024

Microcombs – chip-scale devices that generate and measure frequencies of light with exquisite accuracy – have transformed timekeeping and boosted optical...

Tiny red cylinder probes are presented in front of a much larger ice cube.

Spotlight: Shape-Shifting Probes Will Help Improve MRI Imaging

April 12, 2024

Not all gems are the precious stone kind. In the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a type of microscopic magnetic probes called geometrically encoded...

NIST Researchers Use Cellphone Compass to Measure Tiny Concentrations of Compounds Important for Human Health

April 1, 2024

Nearly every modern cellphone has a built-in compass, or magnetometer, that detects the direction of Earth’s magnetic field, providing critical information for...

NIST’s Ultra-small, Shape-shifting GEMS Offer an Easier and Cheaper way to improve MRI Imaging

December 20, 2023

Microscopic magnetic probes that change shape in response to their environment may greatly enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, producing the...

Pieces of salmon are being fed from a metal holder into the icy opening of a milling machine.

NIST’s Shrimp and Salmon Reference Materials Could Help Combat Seafood Fraud

September 8, 2023

Seafood fraud can happen when fish is incorrectly labeled for consumers as a more expensive variety.

white matter mimic in the bottom half of the artificial cranium

Lessons from an Experimental Brain Phantom

July 12, 2023

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and colleagues have developed a novel, anatomically accurate reference model of the...

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.

A grayscale scanning electron microscope image of a human hair with the letters N-I-S-T across it.

NIST Finds a Sweet New Way to Print Microchip Patterns on Curvy Surfaces

November 25, 2022

An accidental discovery at NIST could improve the reach of microprinting using candy. Pretty sweet!

nucleic acid nanotechnology illustration

A Revolution Still in the Making: NIST Researchers Chart the Future of Nucleic Acid Nanotechnology

October 27, 2022

Trapped in a microscopic cage made of strands of DNA, molecules of a life-saving drug course through the bloodstream of a cancer patient. Only when receptors on...

A close-up view of two green lizards climbing a tree branch.

Gecko Feet Are Coated in an Ultra-Thin Layer of Lipids That Help Them Stay Sticky

July 6, 2022

Scientists already understood the mechanics of gecko adhesion. Now they have a clearer picture of the molecular structures that give the animal its grip.

Measuring Up: The Phantom of the Library

May 4, 2022

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revolutionized medical diagnostics and research by providing a non-invasive way to investigate internal tissue structures...

Not Letting It Slip By: NIST Discovery Could Increase Accuracy in Measuring Blood Flow for Cancer Diagnosis, Other Applications

March 22, 2022

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered a potential source of error when using acoustic waves to measure the...

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...

Biomaterials

News and Updates

New NIST Reference Material to Strengthen Quality Control for Biological Drugs

NIST Scientists Use DNA Origami on a Chip to Detect Biomolecules

Now Live: Living Cells Can Be Seen With Infrared Light

With Some Bumps, NIST Scientists Devise a Novel Way to Extend the Wavelength Range of Microcombs

Spotlight: Shape-Shifting Probes Will Help Improve MRI Imaging

NIST Researchers Use Cellphone Compass to Measure Tiny Concentrations of Compounds Important for Human Health

NIST’s Ultra-small, Shape-shifting GEMS Offer an Easier and Cheaper way to improve MRI Imaging

NIST’s Shrimp and Salmon Reference Materials Could Help Combat Seafood Fraud

Lessons from an Experimental Brain Phantom

NIST Develops New Nondestructive Method for Assessing Bioengineered Artificial Tissues

NIST Finds a Sweet New Way to Print Microchip Patterns on Curvy Surfaces

A Revolution Still in the Making: NIST Researchers Chart the Future of Nucleic Acid Nanotechnology

Gecko Feet Are Coated in an Ultra-Thin Layer of Lipids That Help Them Stay Sticky

Measuring Up: The Phantom of the Library

Not Letting It Slip By: NIST Discovery Could Increase Accuracy in Measuring Blood Flow for Cancer Diagnosis, Other Applications

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

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

NIST Researchers Use Novel Method to Understand the Molecular Underpinnings of a Tumorlike Disease Affecting Coral Reefs

Escape From Flatland: Calibration Method Enables Microscopes to Make Accurate Measurements in All 3 Dimensions

Identifying Individual Molecules: NIST Study Suggests How to Build a Better ‘Nanopore’ Biosensor

The Ins and Outs of a NIST Patent

NIST Publishes a Beginner’s Guide to DNA Origami

Nanocylinder Vibrations Help Quantify Polymer Curing for 3D Printing

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

Making the DNA Melt Curve More Accurate

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