News and Updates

Displaying 1 - 25 of 42

First Complete Human Genome Poised to Strengthen Genetic Analysis, NIST Study Shows

March 31, 2022

Alongside the newly updated human genome, which fills in long-standing gaps to fully spell out the more than 3 billion letters that compose our genetic code, a

Not Letting It Slip By: NIST Discovery Could Increase Accuracy in Measuring Blood Flow for Cancer Diagnosis, Other Applications

March 22, 2022

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered a potential source of error when using acoustic waves to measure the

Commerce Department Awards $54 Million in American Rescue Act Grants to Increase Access to Advanced Manufacturing Opportunities

February 28, 2022

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded nearly $54 million in grants for 13 high

New Benchmark Could Improve Detection of Genetic Variants Linked to Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Other Diseases

February 7, 2022

The stretches of DNA that differ from person to person, called variants, are a major part of what makes us unique, but they can also put us at greater risk of

Megan Cleveland with white lab coat and safety glasses in front of a lab bench with pipettes.

RNA Reference Materials Are Useful for Standardizing COVID-19 Tests, Study Shows

January 20, 2022

Scientists track and monitor the circulation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, using methods based on a laboratory technique called polymerase

NIST Awards More Than $3.5 Million to High-Tech Small Businesses to Support Innovations in Manufacturing, Medical Diagnostics and More

December 7, 2021

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded more than $3.5 million in funding to 17

A person wearing safety goggles works at a table of scientific equipment.

JILA’s Comb Breathalyzer Is Now a Thousandfold More Sensitive to Disease Biomarkers

October 4, 2021

JILA scientists have boosted the sensitivity of their decade-old frequency comb breathalyzer a thousandfold and can detect additional biomarkers of disease —

Identifying Individual Molecules: NIST Study Suggests How to Build a Better ‘Nanopore’ Biosensor

April 27, 2021

Researchers have spent more than three decades developing and studying miniature biosensors that can identify single molecules. In five to 10 years, when such

A woman wearing purple gloves adjusts tubing inside a scientific device.

Spotlight: Screening for Kidney Disease With Accurate Measurements

April 15, 2021

If you have a fear of needles, getting a urine test is a pain-free way for doctors to screen for kidney disease or any signs of kidney damage. Clinicians

NIST Quality Assurance Program for Health Assessment Measurements Open for Registration

March 26, 2021

The latest exercise in NIST's Health Assessment Measurements Quality Assurance Program (HAMQAP) is open for registration. HAMQAP, a collaboration with the

NIST Publishes a Beginner’s Guide to DNA Origami

January 8, 2021

In a technique known as DNA origami, researchers fold long strands of DNA over and over again to construct a variety of tiny 3D structures, including miniature

A medical worker administers a nasal swab test to a person in a car.

NIST Innovation Could Improve Detection of COVID-19 Infections

October 5, 2020

A multidisciplinary research team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a way to increase the sensitivity of the primary

NIST Scientists Get Soft on 3D Printing

September 22, 2020

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new method of 3D-printing gels and other soft materials. Published in

NIST Reference Material 8366 for Cancer Biomarker EGFR and MET Measurements now available

June 25, 2018

NIST Reference Material 8366 for cancer biomarkers EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and MET (proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase) gene copy number

New NIST Service: Extending Traceable Measurements Inside the Human Body

March 23, 2018

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is now providing a new measurement service that can improve the quality of magnetic resonance

A Stopwatch for Nanofluids: NIST Files Provisional Patent Application for Measuring Nanoliter Flow Rates

January 17, 2018

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has filed a provisional patent application for a microflow measurement system, about the size of a

How Disposable Diapers Can Improve Measurements of Tumor Growth

November 20, 2017

Catching cancer early can make all the difference for successful treatment. A common screening practice measures tumor growth with X-ray computed tomography (CT

Illustration of 5 roundish objects of purple and blue arranged in a circle

NIST Standard Story: Matters of the Heart

September 20, 2017

NIST scientists have thoroughly measured and characterized more than 1,300 physical products, NIST Standard Reference Materials®, to help people in industry

New NIST Tool Aims to Improve Accuracy of Test to Determine Cardiovascular Disease Risk

September 19, 2017

Cardiovascular disease caused one out of three deaths in the United States in 2016, and for decades it has been the leading killer for both men and women

NIST Standard Story: No Humans Were Harmed

February 15, 2017