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Engineering Laboratory

News and Updates

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NIST Tornado Reports Urge New Standards for Saving Lives, Property

December 3, 2013

Nationally accepted standards for building design and construction, public shelters and emergency communications can significantly reduce deaths and the steep

NIST Investigation of Joplin, Mo., Tornado Details Proposed Measures for Saving Lives and Property

November 21, 2013

JOPLIN, Mo.—Nationally accepted standards for building design and construction, public shelters and emergency communications can significantly reduce deaths and

NIST to Announce Results of Study of 2011 Joplin, Mo., Tornado Disaster

November 19, 2013

On May 22, 2011, a massive tornado struck Joplin, Mo., destroying some 8,000 structures in its path and killing 161 people. It was the single deadliest tornado

Updating Building Energy Codes: How Much Can Your State Save?

November 5, 2013

How much in energy and cost savings would your state realize if it updated its commercial building energy codes? You can find out in a new on-line publication*

NIST Seeks Public Input on Updated Smart Grid Cybersecurity Guidelines

October 25, 2013

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting public comments on the first revision to its guidelines for secure implementation of

NIST Fire Protection Engineer Wins Service to America Medal

October 18, 2013

Fire protection engineer Daniel Madrzykowski of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was honored on Oct. 3, 2013, with a Service to America

Limestone Powder Enhances Performance of 'Green' Concrete

September 3, 2013

Adding limestone powder to "green" concrete mixtures—those containing substantial amounts of fly ash, a byproduct of coal-burning power plants—can significantly

Two Experts Named to Earthquake Advisory Board

September 3, 2013

Two earthquake authorities from academia and the private sector have been appointed by Patrick Gallagher, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and

Air Conditioner "Evolves" in Novel NIST Study

September 3, 2013

Played out on a computer over hundreds of generations, a survival-of-the-fittest programming method adapted by National Institute of Standards and Technology

A wooded area aflame during the 2007 Witch Creek/Guejito wildfire in Southern California.

Knowing Exposure Risks Important to Saving Structures from Wildfires

September 3, 2013

A recent study of one of California's most devastating wildland fires by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Forest Service

Study Provides Details on Portable Generator Emissions and Carbon Monoxide Exposure

July 10, 2013

Despite warnings to the contrary, many people continue to operate portable generators indoors or close to open windows, doors, or vents, resulting in more than

The NIST Dexterous Manipulation Testbed features a seven degree-of-freedom highly dexterous robot and a seven degree-of-freedom, three fingered robotic hand.

NIST Workshop Gets a 'Grip' on Robotics Challenge

July 10, 2013

Even though modern industrial robots are becoming nimbler and more capable, they still need to get a good grip on things—the equivalent of hands that are as

NIST Announces Three Funding Opportunities in Engineering Research

June 26, 2013

Funding opportunities for research in the areas of disaster-resilient buildings and communities, sustainable construction and manufacturing, and "smart"

New NIST Test for Firefighter Breathing Equipment Goes into Effect Sept. 1

June 25, 2013

As of Sept. 1, 2013, standard firefighter breathing equipment cannot be certified to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards unless the facepiece

Three Presidential Innovation Fellows Begin Work at NIST

June 25, 2013

Three of this year's Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) began work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on June 18, 2013, helping the

NIST Researchers Offer Tool to Aid Standards Development, Implementation

June 11, 2013

The nice thing about standards, it's been said, is that there are so many to choose from.* Though this tongue-in-cheek chestnut might be an exaggeration, it is

The Witch fire, the largest of the fires that occurred during the 2007 California firestorm, burned 80,124 hectares and destroyed 1125 residential structures.

Workshop Identifies Research Priorities to Mitigate Fires in the Wildland-Urban Interface

May 28, 2013

Over 46 million residential structures in the United States are in areas at risk of wildfires. A new publication from the National Institute of Standards and

NIST and Partners Offer Solution to Communications Impasse in Factories

May 28, 2013

Once uncommunicative industrial robots and machine tools are now beginning to talk turkey, thanks to a prototype application developed by a team of partner

New Report Identifies Strategies to Achieve Net-Zero Energy Homes

May 14, 2013

Chances are you know how many miles your car logs for each gallon or tankful of gas, but you probably have only a foggy idea of how much energy your house

Terracotta and Cement Roofs Vulnerable in Wildfires, NIST Study Finds

May 14, 2013

Although made of fire-resistant materials, terracotta and cement roof tiles are vulnerable to penetration by windblown embers generated in wildfires, according

NIST Fire Protection Engineer Named Service to America Finalist

May 7, 2013

Daniel Madrzykowski, a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) fire protection engineer with a 25-year track record of conducting research that

Landmark NIST Study Evaluates Effectiveness of Crew Sizes in High-Rise Fires

April 17, 2013

When responding to fires in high-rise buildings, firefighting crews of five or six members—instead of three or four—are significantly faster in putting out

Prototype Generators Emit Much Less Carbon Monoxide, NIST Finds

April 17, 2013

Portable electric generators retrofitted with off-the-shelf hardware by the University of Alabama (UA) emitted significantly lower levels of carbon monoxide (CO

Landmark High-Rise Fire Study Evaluates Effectiveness of Crew Sizes, Elevator Use

April 10, 2013

PHOENIX – When responding to fires in high-rise buildings, firefighting crews of five or six members—instead of three or four—are significantly faster in

Experts Propose Research Priorities for Making Concrete 'Greener'

April 3, 2013

The challenge of making concrete greener—reducing its sizable carbon footprint without compromising performance—is just like the world's most ubiquitous

Advanced communications
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Bioscience
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--Biological data
-Bioimaging
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-Cell measurements
-Engineering / synthetic biology
--Biofabrication
--Cell-free systems
--Genome engineering
--Protein engineering
-Gene delivery systems
-Genome editing
-Genomics
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Buildings and Construction
-Building codes and standards
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-Building damage and repair
-Building economics
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-Indoor air quality
-Structural engineering
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Chemistry
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Electronics
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Energy
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-Electric power / smart grid
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Environment
-Air / water / soil quality
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Forensic Science
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-Supply chain
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Materials
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Mathematics and statistics
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Metrology
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Nanotechnology
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