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Forensic Science

News and Updates

Keyword

Organization

Scientists Lay the Groundwork for a Reliable Marijuana Breathalyzer

July 5, 2017

Marijuana is now legal for recreational or medicinal use in at least 28 states and the District of Columbia. But driving under the influence of marijuana is

Fire Testing of New Building Materials

June 8, 2017

New, lighter, cheaper, sustainable and recyclable building materials are entering the market every day as developers try to lower costs and shrink their carbon

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

NIST Upgrades Widely Used Database of Molecular 'Fingerprints'

June 6, 2017

When scientists need to identify an unknown compound, they do what a police detective might do. They get fingerprints—in this case, the “molecular fingerprints”

Do You Have What It Takes to be a Forensic Fingerprint Examiner?

May 18, 2017

Being a forensic examiner seems glamorous on TV. But working in a crime lab requires long hours of intense focus that are anything but action-packed. This is

Two vials, one with heroin and one with an equivalent dose of fentanyl, which is a much smaller amount.

Fentanyl Can Sicken First Responders. Here’s a Possible Solution.

May 9, 2017

Dan Kallen, a detective in southern New Jersey, was searching a home with fellow officers in August 2015, when they found a bag of white powder. Kallen removed

Standard for Sampling Seized Drugs Approved for OSAC Registry

April 3, 2017

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) has approved the Standard Guide for Sampling Seized Drugs for Qualitative and

Man in NIST fire research t-shirt and hard hat standing among wreckage

Fire Investigator Qualifications Standard Approved for OSAC Registry

December 22, 2016

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science has approved the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard for

NIST Research Enables Enhanced DNA “Fingerprints”

December 15, 2016

As the new year approaches, forensic labs across the country are gearing up for a big change in the way they generate DNA profiles, the genetic fingerprints so

Database of Software “Fingerprints” Expands to Include Mobile Apps

December 15, 2016

A group of computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been working for more than 15 years on an impossible task: to

Department of Justice and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Name New Member of National Commission on Forensic Science

December 13, 2016

DOJ Contact: Office of Public Affairs, 202-514-2007 WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and

Forensics@NIST 2016: Practitioners and Researchers Meet at a Critical Time for Forensic Science

December 6, 2016

On November 8 th and 9 th, 2016, experts gathered for the fourth biennial Forensics @ NIST conference, where scientists from the National Institute of Standards

Odor Detection with An Artificial Dog Nose

Sniffing Like a Dog Can Improve Trace Detection of Explosives

December 1, 2016

By mimicking how dogs get their whiffs, government and university researchers have demonstrated that “active sniffing” can improve by more than 10 times the

Trace Evidence Databases: A Force Multiplier for Forensic Investigators

November 7, 2016

A window is broken. A home is burglarized. Investigators identify a suspect and find a sliver of what appears to be glass embedded in his shoe. In the forensics

NIST Unveils Forensic Technique to Measure Mechanical Properties of Evidence

November 1, 2016

You may have seen it on CSI: The star examines hair from a crime scene and concludes its color or texture looks like the defendant’s hair, or maybe his dog’s

Laboratory Standard ISO/IEC 17025 Added to OSAC Registry

September 27, 2016

Today, the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science announces the addition of the International Organization for Standardization

Fire and Explosion Investigation Guideline Approved for OSAC Registry

September 20, 2016

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science has approved the National Fire Protection Association Guide for Fire and Explosion

The box cover for Asteroids for the Atari 7800 gaming system

Digital Forensics Rescues Retro Video Games and Software

September 12, 2016

Starting in the mid-1980s, a young man named Stephen Cabrinety filled his home with video games and software. He piled unopened boxes to the ceilings—everything

A 3D topographic surface map of the base of a fired 9 mm bullet.

NIST 3D Ballistics Research Database Goes Live

July 7, 2016

It's a staple of the TV-crime drama: a ballistics expert tries to match two bullets using a microscope with a split-screen display. One bullet was recovered

Joint OSAC FSSB and NIST Statement on ASTM E2329-14

July 5, 2016

On Jan. 11, 2016, the OSAC Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) voted to elevate ASTM Standard E2329-14 "Standard Practice for Identification of Seized Drugs

Department of Justice and National Institute of Standards and Technology Name Two Experts as New Members of National Commission on Forensic Science

June 16, 2016

DOJ Contact: Office of Public Affairs, 202-514-2007 WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Commerce's National Institute of