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This Bulletin provides an update on forensic science standards that are moving through the development process at Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs), and
When crime lab chemists handle evidence that contains illegal drugs, trace amounts of those drugs are inevitably released into the laboratory environment. When
NIST has published Draft NISTIR 8225, Scientific Foundation Reviews. This publication describes NIST’s approach to conducting scientific foundation reviews
At forensic science labs, analysts literally weigh the evidence. They also measure it in other ways. They use microscopes, DNA profiling kits, chemical
One of the largest software libraries in the world just grew larger. The National Software Reference Library (NSRL), which archives copies of the world’s most
DNA is often considered the most reliable form of forensic evidence, and this reputation is based on the way DNA experts use statistics. When they compare
The drug overdose epidemic currently gripping the nation is so tenacious in part because it’s being driven by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that comes in many
The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) has approved three new standards for inclusion on the OSAC Registry. This registry
Aerial drones might someday deliver online purchases to your home. But in some prisons, drone delivery is already a thing. Drones have been spotted flying drugs
Experts at recognizing faces often play a crucial role in criminal cases. A photo from a security camera can mean prison or freedom for a defendant—and
Fentanyl, the synthetic drug that is driving a nationwide overdose epidemic, is not only a killer. It’s also a shape shifter. Illicit chemists are constantly
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is now accepting proposals for its 2018 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. The
On February 14, 1929, gunmen working for Al Capone disguised themselves as police officers, entered the warehouse of a competing gang, and shot seven of their
GAITHERSBURG, Md.—The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has made four awards totaling approximately $266,000 to
Data found on a suspect’s computer, cell phone or tablet can prove to be crucial evidence in a legal case. A new set of software tools developed at the National
Editor’s Note: The headline on this article was updated to clarify that NIST as an institution is not making a policy recommendation on this subject. The peer
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will undertake a study to assess the reliability of forensic methods for analyzing DNA evidence that
Sylvester James Gates, Jr. is a world-recognized researcher in theoretical physics. Formerly of the University of Maryland and now a professor at Brown
Jeremy Triplett has had a busy three years. Since the inception of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science ( OSAC) in 2014, Triplett
When Continental flight 3407 crashed on approach to Buffalo Niagara airport on February 12, 2009, all 49 persons on board, and one on the ground, were killed
GAITHERSBURG, Md.—The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking public input on a potential new organizational
The first big case involving fingerprint evidence in the United States was the murder trial of Thomas Jennings in Chicago in 1911. Jennings had broken into a
The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) has approved the Standard Test Method for Forensic Comparison of Glass Using Micro X