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Physics

Biological physics

Projects/Programs

Displaying 1 - 23 of 23

Calibration Services: New Calibration Facility for X-Ray Air Kerma

Ongoing
The NIST x-ray calibration facility is composed of a suite of rooms that includes the 11 m by 7 m calibration range, a dedicated equipment room, connected by custom shielding ports for communication with the x-ray tubes in the radiation area, an operator control center with a viewing window and
surface acoustic wave sensor

Electroacoustic Wave-Based Flow Sensors

Ongoing
As part of our NIST-on-a-Chip efforts, we are developing strategies to measure local flow in microfluidic systems. This project will develop label-free flow sensors using surface acoustic waves embedded in microfluidic devices. In this approach, an electromechanical transducer is placed on a
modular measurement platform

Electronic Biophysical Measurements

Ongoing
We develop measurements that leverage electronic signal transduction using FETs to maximize sensitivity and improve the resolution of biomolecular measurements. The techniques allow direct charge transduction during molecular interactions to quantify fundamental biophysical processes. Critically the

Fundamental Interaction Mechanisms of Engineered Nanomaterials with DNA

Completed
Intended impact Nanotechnology research has resulted in the rapid creation of engineered nanomaterials with many foreseeable applications in medical imaging/diagnosis and in drug delivery. However, there is a notable scarcity of both acute and chronic human toxicity data for these new materials
Interdomain Distance Measurements of Monoclonal Antibodies illustration

Interdomain Distance Measurements of Monoclonal Antibodies

Ongoing
Through collaboration with researchers at the Institute for Biotechnology and Bioscience Research (IBBR), we have created a library of site-specific spin-labeled and stable isotope-labeled binding partner proteins for the NIST monoclonal antibody (NISTmAb) reference material ( RM8671). Using pulsed
SPRI Cells

Label-free imaging of cells and their extracellular matrix by SPR imaging

Ongoing
Cellular remodeling of their neighboring environment, extracellular matrix (ECM), is an important biological process from development biology, to wound healing, to diseases and cancers – this is a challenging process to measure and quantify. Surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) has been
MML researchers develop reference materials and methods for quantitative phase microscopy with off-the-shelf products

Measurement Assurance for Quantitative Cell Imaging by Optical Microscopy

Ongoing
Light microscopy is unparalleled as a quantitative technique for studying cell biology, but assuring that the results of measurements and analyses are accurate, repeatable and sharable is challenging. Here we provide information on reference materials, protocols and approaches for evaluating the
membrane

Measurement Techniques for Membranes and Membrane Proteins

Ongoing
Use of synthetic cell membrane mimics allow simplification and complete control of a complicated system, and incorporation of selected elements under physiological conditions. We are furthering a technology originally developed at NIST using model lipid membranes supported on surfaces for

Medical (Archive): Workshop for Radiobiology Dosimetry Standardization

Completed
Workshop Agenda with Presentations RADIATION DOSE IS MORE THAN A NUMBER! National Institute of Standards and Technology 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD Green Auditorium September 15 and 16, 2011 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 Welcome and Introduction Lisa Karam, NIST Bert Maidment, NIAID Norm
Gears illustrating NIST's cell-free systems initiatives

Metrology For Cell-Free Expression Systems

Ongoing
Cell-free expression systems are poised to advance the US bioeconomy and play a key role in ensuring US manufacturing resilience. NIST has several, on-going projects in its growing portfolio to promote reproducibility, new measurement methods, and best practices and standards in cell-free expression
molecular physiology illustration

Molecular Physiology

Ongoing
In close collaboration with experimentalists, we are seeking to increase the resolution, scope, and throughput of single-biomolecule and ensemble techniques, such as nanopore-based biomolecular analysis, ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy, and FRET, among others. These developments rely heavily on
nano-biophotonics collage

Nano-biophotonics for molecular imaging

Ongoing
Nano-biophotonics consists of four broad areas: molecular bioimaging; nano-biosensors; multiplexed bioassays ; and nanotechnology-based medical practices for diagnosis and therapy. Success in these areas is challenged by the underlying complexity of biological systems. Major levels of complexity and
Test tube illustrating NIST cell-free workshop topics

NIST Workshops on Cell-Free Expression Systems

Completed
NIST has co-hosted two cell-free workshops. NIST CELL-FREE (Comparable Engineered Living Lysates For Research Education and Entrepreneurship) Workshop (2019) The NIST CELL-FREE workshop took place in La Jolla, CA in February 2019, in collaboration with the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). The

Optical medical imaging

Optical medical imaging technologies proliferate in academic research and yet very few translate into the clinic. Optical techniques have high spatial and spectral resolution, lends itself to portability, and inexpensive relative to conventional imaging modalities such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance
golden aspect ratio illustration

Sensing, Transport, and Simulation

Ongoing
We have recently developed a finite-size scaling approach and special simulation cell aspect ratio—the golden aspect ratio—to enable accurate incorporation of access resistant and bulk diffusion in ionic transport, see the figure. This enables quantitative, and efficient, prediction of ion transport
nanopore event

Single-molecule biosensors

Ongoing
We are developing new tools to investigate the energy landscape of single-molecule sensors. Our goal is to apply a wide-ranging array of technologies to probe the critical physicochemical properties of nanopore biosensors. These properties include the free energy of confinement for polymers as they

State-resolved Spectroscopy of Biomolecules

Ongoing
Terahertz radiation interrogates the lowest frequency vibrational modes of a biomolecule. These modes characterize the incipient motions for large-scale conformational changes responsible for the backbone flexibility of protein, polynucleotide and polysaccharide. Thus, terahertz spectral features

X-ray computed tomography (CT) for medical applications

Completed
As scale lengths get smaller, diffraction becomes increasingly prominent in tomography. The work here develops diffraction tomography for laboratory sources. A new laboratory scale instrument at NIST/Boulder is dedicated to tomography of integrated circuit interconnects. Tomography software written