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Forensic Science

News and Updates

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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...

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...

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...

How to Quantify the Weight of Forensic Evidence: A Lively Debate

June 2, 2016

On May 5 and 6, 2016, NIST hosted a technical colloquium on an important question facing virtually every branch of forensic science today: How should forensic...

NIST Forensic Scientist Helps Vietnamese Counterparts Identify Wartime Remains

May 18, 2016

In a Hanoi, Vietnam, hotel conference room, Mike Coble led a group of scientists through a series of calculations. Coble's presentation was heavy on the...

NIST Statement on ASTM Standard E2329-14

March 17, 2016

Since 2013, NIST has partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice to establish improved, more scientifically rigorous methods for collecting, analyzing, and...

Registration for OSAC Las Vegas

February 9, 2016

NIST's Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) will hold its public meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday-Tuesday, Feb. 22 and 23, 2016. The...

NIST Simulates Fast, Accurate DNA Sequencing Through Graphene Nanopore

January 15, 2016

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have simulated a new concept for rapid, accurate gene sequencing by pulling a DNA...

Portable NIST Kit Can Recover Traces of Chemical Evidence

January 7, 2016

A chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a portable version of his method for recovering trace chemicals such as...

OSAC December 2015 Newsletter

December 18, 2015

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) has released its December 2015 monthly newsletter to communicate program status...

November OSAC Newsletter

November 24, 2015

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) has released its November 2015 monthly newsletter to communicate program status...

OSAC Recruiting Applicants for New Crime Scene Subcommittee

October 29, 2015

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) is currently recruiting applicants for a new subcommittee, the Crime Scene Investigation Subcommittee. The...

Who, What, WHEN: Determining the Age of Fingerprints

August 24, 2015

Watch the imprint of a tire track in soft mud, and it will slowly blur, the ridges of the pattern gradually flowing into the valleys. Researchers at the...

OSAC Opens Public Comment Period for Five Existing Standards for Potential Inclusion on the OSAC Registry of Approved Standards

August 13, 2015

Forensic science service providers need access to a uniform set of standards that support scientifically sound and statistically valid test results, laboratory...

U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce Name Six Experts as New Members of National Commission on Forensic Science

August 6, 2015

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced six...

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