National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Every few weeks, NIST receives a report card of sorts from the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, which documents how our atomic clocks are performing compared to those in other national measurement institutes around the world.  This helps our experts make sure our clocks are running as they should since they have the important job of keeping time for the entire country.     NIST researcher Alejandra Collopy is working to add another piece of timely feedback to help our ensemble of clocks perform at their best 24/7. She’s creating an atomic clock based on an electrically charged atom known as an ion, which comes from the element strontium.    Once fully up and running — projected to happen later this year — Alejandra’s clock will measure the difference between two energy levels of the ion. Researchers can then compare the ion’s frequency to the frequency of the clocks in the ensemble. It’ll be like a conductor of an orchestra you don’t see — silently and invisibly keeping all the instruments playing together in proper time.     Strontium and other atoms are also being considered in a worldwide campaign to redefine the scientific definition of the second, which is currently based on the cesium atom, to enable the use of even more accurate atomic clocks for international timekeeping.     We must continually refine our timekeeping because of the important role atomic clocks play in society and the economy, especially for precise timekeeping needs such as the stock market.     Learn more about how NIST’s atomic clocks keep time for you on our atomic clock website: https://lnkd.in/erUNmChe    #Physics #ScienceAndTechnology #Quantum 

Achoo! Sniffling season got you down? A NIST researcher is working to make future virus seasons a little more bearable with research that could quickly and easily test our virus defenses – known as antibodies.      Imagine if, in the future, we could identify who needs a booster shot against current or emerging viruses. We’d all be healthier.       Neutralizing antibodies bind to a pathogen (such as those that cause the flu) and block entry into the host cell or neutralize that pathogen in its tracks. It’s like a bodyguard keeping viruses out of your cells. The best way to get these antibodies is to get a vaccine, but our bodies can also make them after an infection.         NIST researcher Jerilyn Izac is working on a method to measure these antibodies precisely. This may help us better respond to fast-moving viruses.      Learn more: https://lnkd.in/egsyND8P  

A team including NIST scientists has found an innovative and effective way to keep the bits in a superconducting quantum processor free of errors and ready to calculate. The processing units in a quantum computer, known as “qubits,” are notoriously susceptible to heat. Resetting qubits after a calculation involves cooling them to a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. This process is analogous to hitting the “clear” button on a calculator to start a new calculation or erasing mathematical equations on a chalkboard to free up space for a new math problem. Their approach is not only more effective than other methods for erasing superconducting qubits because of the lower temperatures it achieves, but it also achieves them in a novel way — powering the eraser using heat flowing between two parts of the quantum circuit to keeps the computer cold. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eczC7QyY #Quantum #Computing #Qubits #Technology

With the persistence of the opioid epidemic and a rising number of arson cases during the last few years, forensic labs’ chemistry-related workloads are only increasing.       New tools are allowing labs to do this work faster. But when a new piece of equipment arrives in a forensic lab, it has to be tested thoroughly, a process called validation. A NIST research chemist has developed a comprehensive instruction guide to help forensic laboratories quickly validate these instruments in their own labs.       Speeding up this important work can help the justice system move faster.       Learn more in our latest Taking Measure blog post: https://lnkd.in/evFgUm52

Researchers estimate that 85% of used clothes and textiles end up in landfills. To increase recycling and reduce waste, industry needs better technology for automated sorting of used textiles and clothing.      A database developed by NIST researchers that contains the molecular “fingerprints” of different kinds of fabrics will enable more rapid and efficient sorting of textiles and clothing.       Learn more about the database: https://lnkd.in/eUuvxHVQ      #AnalyticalChemistry #Environment #CircularEconomy #Textiles #SustainableManufacturing 

What’s the best way to measure adeno-associated virus vectors? It may sound like a very technical question, but the answer could have a huge impact on one of the most promising fields of medicine today: gene therapy.    Gene therapy involves modifying or introducing genetic material into patients to treat or prevent disease. It offers the possibility of targeting the root genetic causes of diseases — everything from sickle cell disease to cancer.    Some gene therapy treatments use modified adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) to deliver therapeutic genetic material into a patient's cells. Correctly measuring AAV vectors, as they are called, is critical to their safety and efficacy.    In a recently released study, researchers examined a variety of approaches used to measure AAV vectors. One technique, known as SEC-MALS, was the most precise and accurate, while another, called PCR-ELISA, proved “problematic.”    “All the different methods we tested have their limitations and uncertainties,” said NIST chemical engineer Wyatt N. Vreeland. “What’s important is that you understand what your measurement technique can and cannot tell you.” Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dM5zsAhr

NIST’s Office of Weights and Measures helps protect consumers and businesses and ensures fair trading for grocery stores, restaurants and customers.     For example, ice glaze is applied to many frozen seafood products to maintain the quality of the product, but it can add 10% to 40% extra weight to each package — weight that customers should not be charged for.     NIST Handbook 133 provides a test for “Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods,” along with many other test procedures that are adopted as part of regulation in most states. NIST develops and updates inspection procedures and trains state regulatory officials on these tests.    Learn other ways in which NIST works for you: https://lnkd.in/eMyEShh7   #Food #Supermarkets #ConsumerProtection 

NIST has released a synthetic and non-infectious genetic material to aid with the manufacture and development of new and existing diagnostic tests for the H5N1 virus (also known as bird flu).    While H5N1 currently is considered a low-risk threat to the general public’s health, should the virus spread widely, we will need quick access to millions of accurate diagnostic tests.    “The sooner this genetic material reaches manufacturers, the faster we can facilitate the development and validation of new H5N1 diagnostics,” says NIST microbial geneticist Scott Jackson. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e7AAGM-g   #infectiousdiseases #pandemic #diagnostics 

We’re looking for the next Deputy Associate Director for Laboratory Programs at NIST! Read through the responsibilities and qualifications and apply by Jan. 21: https://lnkd.in/ec7sV2DS  

Conventional MRI machines help doctors diagnose a range of diseases, from brain tumors to bone deficiencies, but in common use, they only provide qualitative information. In other words, they display differences between adjacent areas.     Much more information is available if we collect and analyze those images quantitatively — providing measurements of those differences. To support these quantitative analyses, NIST has developed measurement “phantoms” — objects with carefully measured properties that mimic human tissue and can be used to calibrate MRI systems or support research.     Recent studies show that with quantitative MRI, glioblastoma patients could learn if a particular treatment works for them within days, allowing for rapid adjustment of a treatment regimen. While research continues, doctors believe that quantitative MRI could improve the diagnosis of other diseases, such as stroke, dystrophy and a range of cancers.    Learn other ways in which NIST works for you: https://lnkd.in/eMyEShh7   #MRI #MedicalImaging #Diagnostics