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Health

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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

An illustration of a green sphere made of puzzle pieces against a dark background.

Scientists Develop Cell With Synthetic Genome That Grows and Divides Normally

March 29, 2021

New findings shed light on mechanisms controlling the most basic processes of life.

NIST Puts New Biopharmaceutical Quality Control Method to the Test

March 29, 2021

A new method for monitoring biopharmaceutical product quality was recently put to the test by The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and 28

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

Study Indicates That Humidity in Breath Makes Cotton Masks More Effective at Slowing the Spread of COVID-19

March 9, 2021

Researchers have come up with a better way to test which fabrics work best for masks that are meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. By testing those fabrics

Spotlight: Putting NIST at the Forefront of Genome Editing

February 23, 2021

We started from the bottom and now we’re here — geneticist and molecular biologist Samantha Maragh brought NIST into a revolution for the biomedical sciences

Square gray cube with two square holes in it and a gold square in between the holes, and a dark brown coffee bean leaning against the cube.

NIST Announces 2021 R&D Opportunities for Small Businesses

February 10, 2021

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced its fiscal year 2021 Small Business

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

NIST Software Tool Improves Your Doctor’s Vaccination Advice

December 21, 2020

Behind the scenes at your doctor’s office, there’s a complicated set of information that your providers have to absorb before telling you which vaccinations to

A red cylinder made of lipids has five protruding multicolored proteins.

NIST Clarifies Structure of Prospective Vaccine for Respiratory Virus

December 16, 2020

No approved vaccine exists for RSV, a life-threatening virus that attacks the respiratory system. State-of-the-art neutron and X-ray scattering performed at the

Plot graph shows dark purple block at left with areas growing lighter green to the right.

Nanocylinder Vibrations Help Quantify Polymer Curing for 3D Printing

December 10, 2020

In a step toward making more accurate and uniform 3D-printed parts such as personalized prosthetics and dental materials, researchers at the National Institute

A new twist on measuring spin: NIST Develops Microresonator to Study Electron Spin in Small Volumes

November 17, 2020

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a device to detect a quantum property of electrons, known as spin, in

New Airflow Videos Show Why Masks With Exhalation Valves Do Not Slow the Spread of COVID-19

November 10, 2020

Many people wear masks in public to slow the spread of COVID-19, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, masks with

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

A man in safety goggles gives a thumbs-up while sitting at a computer.

Spotlight: Theorizing Between Postdoc and Adviser About the Future of DNA Origami

September 22, 2020

Some assembly required — NIST postdoctoral researcher Jacob Majikes takes the smallest fragments of life and combines them into new structures ... or rather

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

The Genome Editing Consortium

August 20, 2020

Genome editing is the manipulation of the genetic material of a living organism by deleting, replacing, or inserting a DNA sequence, typically with the aim of

A Crazier Crazy Straw for Science

July 28, 2020

What do the loopy straws that children like to sip drinks through have in common with cutting-edge science? Ask Ryan Murphy and his colleagues at the National

Micrograph shows coiled fibers on yellow background with inset of lighter yellow square.

Face Coverings Made From Layered Cotton Fabric Likely Slow the Spread of COVID-19 Better Than Synthetics, New Study Finds

June 29, 2020

Researchers have completed a new study of how well a variety of natural and synthetic fabrics filter particles of a similar size to the virus that causes COVID