Is a non-regulatory agency in the Technology Administration of the US Department of Commerce. NIH/NASA Meeting on Space-Related Health Research Mission.

is a non-regulatory agency in the Technology Administration of the US Department of Commerce.

NIH/NASA Meeting onNIH/NASA Meeting onSpace-Related Health ResearchSpace-Related Health Research

MissionMission … … to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life

Willie E. May, DirectorWillie E. May, DirectorChemical Science and Technology LaboratoryChemical Science and Technology LaboratoryNational Institute of Standards and TechnologyNational Institute of Standards and Technology

• World-leading measurement science and standards program

• ~1,400 technical staff including ~700 PhD scientists and engineers

• Partnerships with industry, academia, and other government agencies have been an integral part of NIST culture since 1901.

NIST’s Role as a Federal Partner in the Biosciences

Rapid advances in the biosciences

Innovation

NIST’s can play a critical role by leveraging its vast expertise in the quantitative physical and informational sciences to provide the measurement infrastructure to underpin innovation in the biosciences and health-related areas.

NIST has a Wide Variety of Relevant Strengths andMeasurement Capabilities…

For example:For example:

• Rigorous application of physical sciences to biological problems and biotechnology

– Biocatalysis, structural biology, molecular mechanisms, bioimaging, biospectroscopy,

bio MEMS, biomaterials metrology, computational modeling and informatics

• Chemical Measurement Science– chemical composition measurements, (bio)separation science,

biothermophysical/chemical property measurements and data, surface and micro/nano analysis science, chemistry and biochemistry, computational chemistry, process measurement and sensing technology,

• Materials Science – quantitative biomaterials characterization, cell metrology, tissue engineering, cold neutron

imaging, self-assembly mechanisms, material biocompatability, polymer-based composites for medical applications, mechanical property metrology for biological systems

• Medical Physics– Standards for diagnostics and therapeutic radiology, biological structure characterization

using advanced spectroscopies

• Standards Development and Deployment

Current Astrobiology-Related Research Collaborations with NASA

Mars Organic Analyser: NIST developed chiral thermal gradient focusing technique for the ultra-sensitive, in situ measurement of biomarkers

NASA Messenger and NASA Nugget: NIST provided instrument expertise in instrument development calibration and to ensure data quality from measurements in space.

Focusing Lens

Nanotube characterization and quality assurance for production and use in space crafts

580 mm

Mars Oxygen Liquefier prototype was developed at NIST to liquefy oxygen on Mars.

Current Areas of Space-Related “Life” Research

• Mars Organic Analyzer - detection of current or past life on Mars

• NIST role: measurement technology innovation, ultra-metrology and reliability– Novel microfluidic device has a

portable platform– Ultra sensitive, insitu analysis of

biomarkers– Uses chiral temperature gradient

focusing invented at NIST

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Current Areas of Space-Related “Life” Research

• NASA Messenger – multielemental mapping of the surface of Mercury in search for signs of life– NIST role: High tech calibration of critical

gamma ray detector to measure gamma ray emission resulting from capture of cosmic-ray induced neutrons in the planet’s crust

• NASA NUGGET – developed to look at life in space– NIST role: Provide measurement

expertise and world class instrumentation: a specialized focusing beam developed at NIST and NIST’s Prompt-gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) Spectrometer

NASA’s Principal Investigator Sam Floyd and a NIST/NASA team tested the NUGGET concept at NIST

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Current Areas of Space-Related “Life” Research

• Nanotube characterization and quality assurance for production and use in space crafts– Health applications – medical device,

sensor etc– ESH, toxicity issues

• NIST role: develop methodologies to:– Produce nanotube reference materials

for process QC– Characterize fundamental optical and

electronic properties

Collaborators: Federal partners at NASA, NIOSH, CDC, Academic partners at Rice U, Rochester Institute of Technologyreturn

Current Areas of Space-Related “Life” Research

• Mars Oxygen Liquefier prototype developed at NIST to liquefy oxygen produced from the carbon dioxide atmosphere on Mars for more feasible storage and use in life support systems in space.

• NIST Role: NIST expertise in cryogenic technologies led to the development of an extremely efficient pulse tube liquefier that uses NIST modeling programs and NIST-developed coaxial arrangement 580 mm

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Existing Resources to Facilitate Space-Related Health Research

Facilities and Equipment

Advanced Measurement Laboratory– Nano-scale science and metrology

Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory– Analytical Chemistry, Biochemical Sciences

NIST Center for Neutron Research– Cold Neutron Source for characterization of biological and

other materials

NIST Conducts Research in NIST Conducts Research in Three Joint InstitutesThree Joint Institutes

JILAUniversity of Colorado

UMBI Shady Grove HMLCharleston, SC

Center for teaching and research in atomic, chemical, optical, laser, gravitational, and solar physics; semiconductors; precision measurement; astrophysics; astronomy; and now bioscience

Research in science and biotechnology to understand linkages between environmental condition and the health of marine organisms and humans

Research in fundamental problems at the forefront of biotechnology focusing on structural biology, bioinformatics, proteomic, plant and insect transformation

Potential Areas for new Research Collaborations

• New detection technologies – biosensors, micro and nanosensing devices

• New measurement methods and standards to support proteomic and metabolomics research

• Support development of astrobiology instrumentation that can survive harsh environments of space (e.g. low temperature, high radiation)

• New growth areas at NIST:– Standards for Bioimaging – Health/Environmental Effects of Nanoparticles – Standards and technologies for Next Generation Clinical Diagnostics

and Therapies– Metrology for biological tissue development

Unique Research FacilitiesUnique Research Facilities

NIST Center for Neutron ResearchNIST Center for Neutron Research

NIST Advanced Measurement LaboratoryNIST Advanced Measurement Laboratory • Five Building Complex with stringent control of

temperature, vibration, humidity, cleanliness

• State-of-the-art nano-fabrication capabilities, in the 110,000 sq ft Cleanroom Building

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• The only U.S. capability for studies of biological dynamics, both temporal and spatial information are obtained.

• Neutron methods at the NCNR encompass an enormous range of time and length scales.