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Forensic Science

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Displaying 26 - 50 of 250

Two tiny square chips are shown with a coin for scale.

Spotlight: A Literal Blast From the Past With NIST Quantum Sensors

February 10, 2022

This mite of a sensor just showed its forensic might. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory used the NIST sensors shown here to demonstrate a highly

microdroplets illustration

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

A Smart Use for Doping: Implanted Atoms Create Unique Electrical IDs That Distinguish Bona Fide Devices From Forgeries

September 16, 2021

If someone sells you a luxury handbag from Paris, France, but it turns out be a forgery from Paris, Texas, the counterfeit item might cost you a thousand bucks

Forensic Science Organization to Draft Standards for Sexual Assault Examinations

July 20, 2021

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic

Maryam Abdur-Rahman

Forensic Science Internships at NIST – A look at Cannabis Compounds

June 10, 2021

By: Christina Reed Maryam Abdur-Rahman is a Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) intern conducting forensic science research with NIST’s Cannabis team in

NIST Publishes Review of DNA Mixture Interpretation Methods

June 9, 2021

[Editor's Note: The final version of this report was published on Dec. 19, 2024. More information, including a link to the final report, is available here.] The

Handwriting Examiners in the Digital Age

June 3, 2021

People are writing more than ever with their keyboards and phones, but handwritten notes have become rare. Even signatures are going out of style. Most credit

Cheryle Beuning poses in front of scientific equipment, wearing safety goggles.

Spotlight: Understanding the Chemical Compounds in Cannabis

February 16, 2021

Keeping you safe with cutting-edge forensic science — NIST postdoctoral researcher Cheryle Beuning is part of a joint effort with the University of Colorado

Overview of Firearms Process Map

OSAC's Firearms & Toolmarks Subcommittee Develops Firearms Process Map

January 19, 2021

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees ( OSAC) for Forensic Science, in partnership with the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE), has

A scientist in lab coat and rubber gloves places a large clear bag of marijuana on a weighing scale.

NIST Study Will Help Labs Distinguish Between Hemp and Marijuana

January 14, 2021

Hemp and marijuana both come from the Cannabis plant. But legally, they are very different. If cannabis has less than 0.3% THC — for tetrahydrocannabinol, the

The New NIST Fire Calorimetry Database Is Available to Answer Your Burning Questions

January 7, 2021

This news article is reproduced from a blog post that originally appeared in the NIST TAKING MEASURE Just a Standard Blog on December 16 th, 2020. By: Matthew

A black dog sniffs a wooden box.

K9 Chemistry: A Safer Way to Train Detection Dogs

December 2, 2020

Trained dogs are incredible chemical sensors, far better at detecting explosives, narcotics and other substances than even the most advanced technological

NIST Launches an Updated Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science

October 1, 2020

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees ( OSAC) for Forensic Science has updated its structure and improved several processes. These changes will enable

A mobile device scans the fingerprints of a hand held close to the screen.

Spotlight: The Challenges of Contactless Fingerprinting

September 16, 2020

Fingerprints are a great means for proving you are (or are not) who you say you are, and we’ve spent the past 2,200 years making progressively greater use of

Green leafy material inside a graduated cylinder.

NIST to Help Labs Achieve Accurate THC, CBD Measurements

July 21, 2020

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a program to help laboratories accurately measure key chemical compounds in marijuana

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

NIST Adds New 'Fingerprints' to Chemical Identification Database

June 17, 2020

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has updated its database of chemical fingerprints, called mass spectra, that are used to identify

An illustration of a black box with a human brain in it. The input to the black box is 0's and 1's, the output includes icons of maps, emails, calendar appointments and other data that might be useful in a criminal investigation.

NIST to Digital Forensics Experts: Show Us What You Got

June 2, 2020

Digital forensics experts often extract data from computers and mobile phones that may contain evidence of a crime. Now, researchers at the National Institute

A mobile device scans the fingerprints of a hand held close to the screen.

NIST Study Measures Performance Accuracy of Contactless Fingerprinting Tech

May 19, 2020

NIST evaluated 6 contactless fingerprinting tools, comparing their performance to devices that require physical contact.

Two New Forensic DNA Standards Added to the OSAC Registry

May 12, 2020

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science has placed two new standards covering the interpretation of DNA evidence on its

Terrestrial Laser Scanner and GPS

Helping Laser Scanners Measure Up

April 23, 2020

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a novel, accurate, easy-to-operate, time- and labor-saving way to provide

In Glowing Colors: Seeing the Spread of Drug Particles in a Forensic Lab

April 22, 2020

When two scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) brought black lights and glow powder into the Maryland State Police crime lab

animation thumbnail

Divide and Conquer: New Algorithm Examines Crime-Scene Bullets Segment by Segment

March 26, 2020

On the morning of March 22, 1915, residents of the small town of West Shelby, New York, awoke to a horrific scene. A woman clad only in a bloodied nightgown lay

A woman holds a cellphone with a bullet hole in it.

NIST Tests Forensic Methods for Getting Data From Damaged Mobile Phones

January 28, 2020

Criminals sometimes damage their mobile phones in an attempt to destroy evidence. They might smash, shoot, submerge or cook their phones, but forensics experts

FBI Gelogist-Forensic Examiner and videographer in a soil pit.

Forensic Soil Evidence Collection Training Video Now Available

January 16, 2020

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science's Geological Materials Subcommittee, in collaboration with the University of Kentucky

NIST Publishes 2018 Department of Commerce Laboratories Technology Transfer Report

December 31, 2019

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (DOC) 2018 Annual Report on Technology Transfer. The

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