News and Updates

Displaying 1 - 25 of 27

NIST’s New Hemp Reference Material Will Help Ensure Accurate Cannabis Measurements

July 8, 2024

This will help forensic labs correctly determine whether a seized material is hemp, which is legal in all 50 states, or marijuana, which is a controlled

Researchers Analyze THC in Breath of Cannabis Smokers

May 22, 2023

Distinguishing between recent use and past use remains an elusive goal.

A person in a baseball cap and face mask stands at a computer surrounded by scientific equipment, including a curving black plastic tube.

Animal Tranquilizer Floods Illicit Drug Markets in Maryland

March 16, 2023

NIST study shows alarming changes in the illegal drug supply.

Side view of Danielle Brager at a desk, looking at a monitor, hand on a computer mouse.

Spotlight: Danielle Brager on the Move in Mathematics

July 28, 2022

Nearly every step of her success has involved an element of personal discovery, plus the advice of good mentors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dozens of cars waiting in a queue in front of a building with large letters reading, "U.S. Border Inspection Station."

Stopping Fentanyl at the Border: Can Chemical Detectors Help?

November 21, 2019

Large quantities of the synthetic drug fentanyl flow into the country at ports of entry along the Southwest border, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. As

A Safer Way for Police to Test Drug Evidence

September 17, 2019

Scientists have demonstrated a way for police to quickly and safely test whether a baggie or other package contains illegal drugs without having to handle any

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

New Protocol for Measuring Background Levels of Drugs in Crime Labs

September 25, 2018

When crime lab chemists handle evidence that contains illegal drugs, trace amounts of those drugs are inevitably released into the laboratory environment. When

NIST details plans for reviewing the scientific foundations of forensic methods

September 24, 2018

NIST has published Draft NISTIR 8225, Scientific Foundation Reviews. This publication describes NIST’s approach to conducting scientific foundation reviews

Data-Sharing Website May Speed Response to New Illegal Drugs

July 5, 2018

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

A graph with vertical lines showing the mass spectrum of fentanyl

Free Software Can Help Spot New Forms of Fentanyl and Other Illegal Drugs

March 7, 2018

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

Lynn Garcia at the 2017 International Error Management Symposium

Speaking of Error in Forensic Science

September 5, 2017

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

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

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

Shown here are the tools for testing arson samples using NIST's new PLOT capillary method.

NIST Analytic Technique Offers Arson Investigators Faster, More Accurate Results

June 17, 2014

A research group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has demonstrated a new method for detecting ignitable liquids that could change

Christopher Neary demonstrates the use of a handheld Raman spectrometer.

New Spectrometry Standard for Handheld Chemical Detectors Aids First Responders

October 24, 2013

When it comes to detectors for dangerous chemicals, toxins or nefarious germs, smaller and faster is better. But size and speed must still allow for accuracy

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