Paul DeRose is a physical/analytical chemist who came to NIST as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow in 1996. Before coming to NIST, he earned his PhD in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) where he studied molecular excited-state dynamics and intermolecular interactions using laser spectroscopy. As an NRC/NIST postdoc, he built a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) and used NSOM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to image thin films and cell membranes.
His current research interests concern the development of fluorescence standards and methods for validation of chemical and clinical assays. His research has resulted in publications in various areas of fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy. He has developed fluorescence standard guidelines and recommendations for ASTM, IUPAC and US Pharmacopeia. He is also the chair of ASTM E13.01.01 sub-committee on Molecular Luminescence. Paul currently leads the NIST Biochemical Science Division's project in luminescence standards development for chemical analysis and assay validation.