News and Updates

Displaying 1 - 25 of 114

NIST Guidelines Can Help Organizations Detect Face Photo Morphs, Deter Identity Fraud

August 18, 2025

Face morphing software, which combines photos of different people into a single image, is being used to commit identity fraud.

Close-up photo of multicolored gummy bears lying on a surface with cannabis buds interspersed.

NIST Makes First Detection of Cannabis in Breath From Edibles

July 24, 2025

Currently there are no reliable roadside tests to determine when a person consumed cannabis or how intoxicated they are as a result.

Technology Demonstrations at 5x5

January 16, 2025

Do you have an innovative, cutting-edge, or emerging technology that has the potential to advance public safety communications? NIST Public Safety

NIST Researchers to Test New Approach for Detecting Cannabis in Breath

August 15, 2024

The new approach involves two breath tests separated by a specified time interval.

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

Person pours a cream-colored liquid alongside a shoeprint in the dirt.

Spotlight: Forensics Videos and App for Collecting Trace Evidence

January 8, 2024

When it comes to crime scene investigation, a lot needs to happen behind the scenes so that judges and juries can trust the validity of evidence presented at

Researchers Analyze THC in Breath of Cannabis Smokers

May 22, 2023

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

A blurry figure in the background holds out a black police helmet with a silver seal that reads "Norfolk Constabulary."

Spotlight: An Honor From Abroad for the National Software Reference Library

October 18, 2022

Far from home, an official ceremonial constable’s helmet from the United Kingdom rests comfortably in an office at NIST. But why?

Boxes of old software stand on a shelf, inlcuding a flight simulator, Dark Souls II and a Kaspersky anti-virus product.

Step Inside the National Software Reference Library

October 18, 2022

More than one billion pieces of software rest in a closely monitored storage facility on the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

A diagram showing the the teeth of the upper and lower human jaws, with central incisors, lateral incisors, canines, premolars and molars appearing in different colors.

Forensic Bitemark Analysis Not Supported by Sufficient Data, NIST Draft Review Finds

October 11, 2022

NIST scientific foundation reviews address issues of accuracy, reliability and validity in forensic science.

A fired cartridge case and a fired bullet.

Two New Forensic Firearm Examination Standards Added to the OSAC Registry of Approved Standards

August 8, 2022

Registry notches its 100th standard, marking a milestone for the forensic science organization.

NIST Update to Software Reference Library Will Aid in Criminal Investigations

June 27, 2022

Expanded, more searchable database will help law enforcement find incriminating images in electronic media.

NIST Publishes Review of Digital Forensic Methods

May 10, 2022

Report documents the scientific foundations of digital evidence examination and recommends ways to advance the field.

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

Spotlight: Joannie Chin’s Early Milestone in Body Armor Standards

May 18, 2021

Joannie Chin, the acting director of NIST’s Engineering Laboratory, is still a polymer scientist at heart. Take a closer look at the lifesaving mark she made on

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

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

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.

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

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

Bullet fragment is illuminated under microscope lens.

Kennedy Assassination Bullets Preserved in Digital Form

December 5, 2019

In the palm of his hand, Thomas Brian Renegar held two small metal objects that had changed the course of history. Twisted pieces of copper and lead, they were

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