See related information on NIST
and the health care industry sector.
Many NIST
programs for the chemical industry are part of our Chemical
Science and Technology Laboratory. You can always send
technical inquiries on NIST chemistry programs to cstlinfo@nist.gov.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
products are proliferating in pharmacies, medical clinics, food
shelves, and even in cleaning supplies. NIST technologies help
develop, evaluate, and assure the quality of these new products.
Here's how.
Biotechnology
Divisionseeks to advance the commercialization of biotechnology
by providing the necessary scientific base, standards, data, and
models. Follow the links below to see specific projects.
Center
for Advanced Research in Biotechnologydetermines three-dimensional
structure of proteins; modifies protein structure to improve efficiency
of industrial processes; works with industry to narrow the gap
between research discoveries and commercial applications.
DNA
Technologiesdevelops standards to verify the accuracy
of DNA profiling for forensic and medical testing; provides quality
assurance for DNA tests for genetic diseases.
Bioprocess
Engineeringidentifies properties of biomolecules and
biomaterials used for industrial processes, such as biocatalysis,
bioprocessing, and biochemical separation technologies; develops
technologies to improve efficiency of biochemical processes used
in manufacturing.
Biomolecular
Materialsinvestigates properties of industrially important
biomolecular materials for potential use in biosensors, bioelectronics,
biocatalytic systems, and diagnostic devices.
Lab-on-a-Chipdevelops
and evaluates microfluidic devices for use as microanalytical
diagnostic and sensing devices; seeking industrial and academic
collaborators.
Protein
Data Bankan international data bank of three-dimensional
structural data for proteins and other biological macromolecules;
freely available to researchers worldwide.
Biotechnology
Web ResourcesHere's a collection of links including the
Protein Data Bank and
three other NIST biotechnology databases on crystallization, short
tandem repeat DNA markers, and thermodynamics of enzyme-catalyzed
reactions.
PPL Therapeutics
of Blacksburg, Va., won a 1999 NIST
Advanced Technology Program grant
to attempt to clone pigs that could supply organs and tissue
for human transplants. On March 5, 2000, the world's first successfully
cloned piglets were born as a result of this project.
Amersham Pharmacia
Biotech of Cleveland, Ohio, won a NIST
Advanced Technology Program grant to develop enzymes that
make biomedical research and diagnostics more efficient. Read
more.
BioTraces,
Inc. of Fairfax, Va., used a NIST
Advanced Technology Program award to successfully develop
an ultrasensitive radioanalytical technology that can detect and
measure very low concentrations of biological substances. Read
more.
NIST
Center for Neutron Research -- provides the only U.S. cold
neutron capabilities for nanoscale probing of biological and biomimetic
systems. In cooperation with universities and industry, we investigate
key structure and dynamics of biomaterials important in drub design,
stability, and delivery, food storage, biosensors, and DNA sequencing.
Contact: Patrick Gallagher,
(301) 975-6210.
Clinical Measurement Standards
Numerous diagnostic
tests are helping doctors fight cancer, heart disease, and many
other conditions. We provide measurement standards to assure the
accuracy of many clinical tests. The links below describe some
of our measurement standards to assure accuracy in clinical labs.
Medical-Industrial
Radiation Facility -- available for use by medical instrument
and dosimetry system developers to design and test products which
help assure the accuracy of radiation measurements in medical
clinics. Contact: Stephen
Seltzer, (301) 975-5552.
Mammographic
X-Ray Standards -- we calibrate inspection and testing devices
used to make sure the optimum x-ray dose is used in breast cancer
screening tests. This helps improve image quality and reduces
the need to repeat tests. Contact: Michelle
O'Brien, (301) 975-2014.
Radiopharmaceutical
Measurement Assurance Program -- run cooperatively by NIST
and the Nuclear Energy Institute, this quality assurance program
ties the accuracy of radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine
directly to national standards. Contact: Daniel
Golas, (301) 975-5540.
Clinical
Standard Reference Materialshere's a list of currently
available NIST measurement reference standards for clinical labs.
See the NIST
Standard Reference Materials Program catalog for a listing
of all NIST SRMs.
You can find
more details plus documents and reports on the NIST
Analytical Chemistry Division home page.
Environmental
Measurement Standards
NIST research
helps industry, researchers, and government regulators reduce
environmental pollution, while saving industry money on remediation
efforts. Labs use our measurement standards and tools to validate
the accuracy of their environmental measurements.
Organic
Constituent Standard Reference Materialshere's a list
of currently available NIST measurement reference standards for
measuring organics, both liquid and solid, in a variety of forms.
Natural
Matrix Standard Reference Materialshere's a list of currently
available NIST measurement reference standards for measuring radioactive
elements in sediments, soils, and biological tissues.
More
Natural Matrix Standard Reference Materialsthis list
is of currently available NIST Standard Reference Materials for
measuring metals in water, sediment, particulates, dust, soil,
and sludge.
Radiochemistry
-- develops measurement assurance tools and Standard Reference
Materials to improve the accuracy of measurements of radioactivity
in soils, sediments, and tissues. Contact: Kenneth
Inn, (301) 975-5541.
Fourier-Transform
Microwave Spectroscopy -- investigating and adapting a very
sensitive spectrometer to identify and quantify pollutants in
automobile exhaust, factory emissions, and process streams. Contact:
Angela Hight-Walker, (301)
975-2155.
NIST
Databases also help assure accuracy with environmental measurements.
Our Quantitative
Infrared Database helps industry and environmental regulators
measure air pollutants with great accuracy.
NIST
Traceable Reference MaterialsIn order to better meet
the growing demand for environment air pollutant testing, NIST
developed NTRMs, or NIST Traceable Reference Materials. Produced
commercially with NIST guidance and monitoring, these gas standards
enable accurate testing of industrial and automotive emissions.
Here's a
list of NIST
Traceable Reference Material suppliers.
See the NIST
Standard Reference Materials Program catalog for a listing
of all NIST SRMs.
You can find
more details plus documents and reports on the NIST
Analytical Chemistry Division home page.
Food Analysis
They say you
are what you eat. But what, exactly, are we eating? NIST measurement
tools are helping food producers and regulators better measure
the nutrients, vitamins, chemicals, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins
in our foods. The links below show food-related measurement reference
standards.
Trace
elements in foodshere's a listing of NIST Standard Reference
Materials for measuring trace elements in various foods.
Nutrients
in Foodshere's a listing of NIST Standard Reference Materials
for measuring nutritional constituents, such as fat, carbohydrate,
protein, and calories in foods.
More
Nutrients in Foodshere's a listing of NIST Standard Reference
Materials for measuring cholesterol, triglycerides, trace elements,
and other nutrients in foods.
See the NIST
Standard Reference Materials Program catalog for a listing
of all NIST SRMs.
You can find
more details plus documents and reports on the NIST
Analytical Chemistry Division home page.
Sensors
The accuracy
of industrial sensors is a key to the quality of many manufactured
products, especially those made with complex chemical processes.
As part of our mission to assist industry, we are working on new
sensor technologies to detect multiple substances, even very tiny
amounts, with very high accuracy. Here are some examples.
Microhotplate
Chemical Sensingdeveloping technologies for next-generation
chemical measurements with solid state devices; developing microhotplate
devices to detect and quantify gases.
Lab-on-a-Chipdevelops
and evaluates microfluidic devices for use as microanalytical
diagnostic and sensing devices; seeking industrial and academic
collaborators.
DNA
Self-Assembled Monolayer Sensorscharacterizing properties
of DNA monolayers in order to help develop their potential as
rapid and inexpensive industrial sensors.
Adapting
Biomolecules for Sensorsdeveloping strategies to incorporate
biomolecules into structures that can form the basis of analytical
sensors.
Genetically
Engineered Pores as Sensorsexploring the use of a genetically-engineered
versions of a pore-forming protein to serve as rationally- designed
sensor components.
Physical
and Chemical Properties
Engineers
must consider scores of chemical properties and scads of data
when designing new products or processes. Since it's not practical
for individual companies to calculate all the data and properties
they need, we do it. Below are some links to our databases and
chemical properties research.
Physical
and Chemical Properties Division -- provides thermophysical
and thermochemical properties of gases, liquids, and solids, both
pure materials and mixtures; the rates and mechanisms of chemical
reactions in the gas and liquid phases; plus models, measurements
and standards for fluid-based physical processes and systems,
including refrigeration. Contact: Gregory
Rosasco, (301) 975-2483.
The NIST
Chemistry WebBook provides users with easy access to chemical
and physical property data for chemical species through the internet.
You can search by name, formula, author, or structure, and retrieve
phase, reaction, spectral, thermophysical, and many other properties.
NIST
Standard Reference Data Program -- provides evaluated data
for scientists and engineers in many disciplines, including analytical
chemistry, atomic and molecular physics, biotechnology, chemical
and crystal data structure, chemical kinetics, industrial fluids,
chemical engineering, thermochemical data, materials properties,
surface data, and imaging data. This site provides other useful
links to evaluated data. Phone: (301) 975-2008.
Physical
Reference Datalook up physical constants, atomic and
molecular data, ionization, x-ray, and gamma ray data, nuclear
physics data, and condensed matter physics data. This page also
has links to other online NIST reference databases.
Membrane
Science and Technology ProjectSince membranes are being
used more and more for separations, synthesis, and even as sensors,
we're trying to improve the science and engineering base of membrane
technology. This site gives a polymer transport property database,
filtration tutorials, and other useful links.
Computational
Chemistry Comparison and Benchmark Databasethis database
contains computational thermochemical data for a selected set
of about 600 gas-phase molecules and tools for comparing experimental
and computational thermochemical properties in the database.
Chemical
Kinetics Database -- a compilation of kinetics data on gas-
phase reactions; searchable by specific reactants, or for reactions
resulting in specific products, or for all reactions of a particular
species, or for combinations of these. Available free online.
Contact: Robert Huie,
(301) 975-2559.
Atomic
and Molecular Physics Databases -- this page provides links
to our free online databases as well as information about ones
we sell. These collections of atomic energy levels, transition
probabilities, and collision data are widely used for characterizing
and modelling all types of gaseous systems, including plasmas,
planetary atmospheres, and astrophysical media, and for nuclear
medicine. Contact: Standard
Reference Data Program, (301) 975-2008.
Molecular
Energy Levels -- describes a NIST publication and database
on vibrational and electronic energy levels for chemists and engineers;
both contain critical evaluation and summary of experimentally
determined vibrational fundamentals and electronic band origins
of more than 2,000 small transient molecules. Contact: Marilyn
Jacox, (301) 975-2547.
SickList
Databasethis database contains known problems in using
a particular computational method with a particular molecule,
plus a solution to the problem, if known.
Temperature and other basic units
NIST is responsible
for maintaining standards for the basic units of measure in the
International System of Units, the modern metric system. Many
industries rely on NIST for these standards. The links below give
more details.
The NIST
Thermometry Group provides U.S. industry with national standards
for measuring temperature and conducts research on temperature
scales and standards. Contact: Dean
Ripple, (301) 975-4801.
The NIST
Fluid Flow Group maintains and disseminates standards needed
by U.S. industry for fluid flow rates, including liquid flow rates
and air speed measurements.
The NIST
Pressure and Vacuum Group provides standards and calibrations
for pressure and vacuum gages.
Radiance
Temperature Laboratory -- establishes, maintains, and disseminates
the U.S. National Scale of Radiance Temperature; our group is
responsible for temperature measurements above the freezing point
of silver (1234.93 K). Contact: Charles
Gibson, (301) 975-2329.
Radioactivity
Group -- develops, maintains, and disseminates radioactivity
standards; develops and applies radioactivity measurement techniques;
and conducts research on radionuclide metrology to meet future
needs. Contact: Lisa Karam,
(301) 975-5561.
Here's a NIST
reference on the International
System of Units. Look here for definitions of all the SI units,
unit conversions, and a bibliography of online publications on
the International System of Units.
Manufacturing
NIST's
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nationwide network
of assistance centers for small manufacturers in all 50 states
and Puerto Rico, offers experts to consult with small to mid-size
manufacturing firms. Since 1988, the MEP has assisted more than
100,000 firms, including chemical processors and manufacturers.
For example,
Membrane Technology and Research of Menlo Park, Calif., makes
membrane separation systems for the chemical, petrochemical, and
the pharmaceutical industries. The company consulted with MEP's
Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence for advice on expanding
its operation. As a result, the company saw improvements in both
production and revenue.
CDI Seals,
Inc. of Humble, Texas, processes rubber and plastic materials
into specialty seals for oil, food, chemical, and semiconductor
producers. With help from the Texas
Manufacturing Assistance Center, CDI boosted productivity
substantially. Read
more.
Another company,
Chem-Pak, Inc. of Winchester, Va., consulted with the Virginia
A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership on modernizing
its plant and expanding its market. Chem-Pak,
a packager of industrial chemical and aerosol products, generated
enough new revenue to move forward with expansion.
Materials
Materials
Science and Engineering Laboratory -- works to support industrial
development of new advanced materials which could improve many
U.S. products and services; offers expertise in ceramics, polymers,
metallurgy, neutron characterization, and materials reliability
to improve measurements, standards, models, and data for materials
research and development. Contact: Leslie
Smith, (301) 975-5658.
NIST
Center for Neutron Research -- carries out broad research
with universities and industry applying state-of-the-art neutron
methods to study the structure of new materials for chemical catalysis
and separation, and the nanoscale behavior of molecules and macromolecules
under conditions that can predict better paths for chemical processing.
Contact: Patrick Gallagher,
(301) 975-6210.
Other Resources
NIST outreach
programs work directly with business and industry to boost U.S.
economic competitiveness. Many aerospace companies and parts suppliers
have benefitted by taking advantage of these programs.
NIST's Advanced
Technology Program spurs innovation in U.S. industry by co-funding
high-risk, high-payoff projects with private industry.
Smaller manufacturers
face many challenges in our technology-driven environment. To
help meet these challenges, NIST started the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership program in 1988. This nationwide network
of centers, now in all 50 states, has assisted more than 100,000
U.S. firms, including chemical processing companies.
The Baldrige
National Quality Program recognizes performance excellence
and quality achievement by U.S. manufacturers, service companies,
educational organizations, and health-care providers. Chemical
firms have been competing for the Baldrige Award since it was
established in 1988. In 1993, Eastman
Chemical Company was named a Baldrige Award winner.
Organizations
that apply for the Baldrige Award must address seven key criteria:
leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information
and analysis, human resource focus, process management, and results.
Each applicant receives a feedback report citing strengths and
opportunities for improvement. Award recipients and applicants
alike say the application process can yield significant process
improvements and is good for the bottom line. In fact, a fictitious
'Baldrige
Index' made up of winning company stock has consistently outperformed
the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. And thousands of other companies
have used the Criteria
for Performance Excellence to assess and improve their overall
performance.