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https://www.nist.gov/mml/bbd/cell-systems-science

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Material Measurement LaboratoryBiosystems and Biomaterials Division

# Cell Systems Science Group

The Cell Systems Science Group conducts research in measurements and models that support the understanding of complex biological phenomena at the cellular and subcellular level. The group focuses on the cell as a system and tools that can make measurements and characterize the system properties.

-  About BBD  Expand or Collapse    -  Our Team 
  -  Staff Directory 
  -  Employment Opportunities  Expand or Collapse      -  Term Positions 
    -  NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship 
    -  PREP 
-  Core Capabilities  Expand or Collapse    -  Advanced Imaging 
  -  Automation 
  -  Biomaterial Measurements 
  -  Cell Measurements 
  -  Genomic Measurements 
  -  Microbial Measurements 
-  Primary Focus Areas  Expand or Collapse    -  Engineering Biology 
  -  RMAT 
  -  Precision Medicine 
  -  Microbiome 
-  Standards and Tools  Expand or Collapse    -  Documentary Standards 
  -  Reference Materials 
  -  Reference Data 
  -  Software Tools 
-  Measurement Assurance  Expand or Collapse    -  Cell Measurements 
  -  Orthogonal Measurements 
-  Technology Development  Expand or Collapse    -  Patents 
-  Collaborations and Partnering 
-  Interagency Coordination  Expand or Collapse    -  MATES 

The Cell Systems Science Group contributes to the new post-genomic era with research in measurements and models that support the understanding of complex biological phenomena at the cellular and subcellular levels.  The group focuses on the cell as a system and tools that can make measurements and characterize the system properties.  This is achieved through bioimaging and other cytometry techniques, measurements that assess protein and gene function within living cells, experimental design, and bioinformatics. We are focusing our efforts on measurements for assessing the process of creation, maintenance and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells in addition to cell lines and engineered cells to understand cellular dynamics.  The group emphasizes new measurement tool development and protocols that ensure reliability and comparability of cell assay and imaging-based measurements and appropriate data analysis and data handling pipelines. These efforts assist basic biomedical research, biomanufacturing of regenerative medicine products, non-animal toxicology testing, drug development and testing, precision medicine, and other applications that depend on understanding and predicting complex cellular activities.

## NEW PROJECTS

A flexible and comprehensive tool dramatically increasing the discoverability of  COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19)
                    - Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence, data curation and discovery tool patented by NIST (MML and ITL) is used to create a database of the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19), a collection of nearly a million scholarly research articles about coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Visit:  https://randr19.nist.gov/

Improving Metrics for Cell-Based Therapies and Regenerative MedicinesPrototype Cell Assay Measurement Platform (P-CAMP)

ALSO, CHECK OUT OUR BLOG DETAILING OUR EVOLVING CAPABILITIES:  DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIST PROTOTYPE ADVANCED BIOMETROLOGY LABORATORY

## News and Updates

### Solving the Big Problem of Measuring Tiny Nanoparticles

August 14, 2019

### A Map App to Track Stem Cells

February 13, 2018

### NIST Updates ‘Sweet’ 1950s Separation Method to Clean Nanoparticles from Organisms

January 26, 2017

### NIST Researchers Use a Standardized Caenorhabditis elegans Toxicity Test to Assess Nanomaterial Toxicity

November 4, 2016

### How are you establishing long-term measurement assurance in fluorescence microscopy?

September 24, 2014

### Cellular Landscaping: Predicting How, and How Fast, Cells Will Change

October 31, 2012

View All News and Updates

## Featured Videos

View All Videos

## Projects/Programs

**​​​​​​Gene Delivery Systems**— through viral and non-viral vector means provide gene therapies mechanisms to deliver genes of interest into a patient’s cells and cure previously untreatable diseases. There is a need for characterization and quality measurements of gene delivery system particles. We are developing methods to measure particle heterogeneity and provide advanced characterization of particle physical and infectious titers. **Fluorescence Microscope Benchmarking**—We have made available a method to characterize a fluorescence microscope's performance by benchmarking the detection threshold, saturation and linear dynamic range to a physical artifact (i.e. a ...

**Assessing NP EHS**—Due to their small size, nanoparticles can enter living organisms in previously unforeseen ways and their immense surface area results in higher reactivity compared to corresponding bulk materials. ...

**Cell-based Immunofluorescence Assays**—Microscopy images of cells are often used in cell biology to qualitatively identify features of interest and to discern differences between treatments. Images are also sometimes used to quantify ...

**Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging of Cells and Extracellular Matrix Proteins**—A critical challenge in cell biology is imaging and quantifying the interactions of cells with their extracellular matrix (ECM) environment, and the active remodeling by cells of their ECM. ...

**A novel root and rule-based natural language processing (NLP) approach to information indexing and searching**—Whether at the level of the individual, team, project or program, research and engineering work must keep abreast of huge amounts of published information that might contain discoveries....

## News & Publications

                  - A novel measure and significance testing in data analysis of cell image segmentation
                  -  Separation, Sizing, and Quantitation of Engineered Nanoparticles in an Organism Model Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Image Analysis 
                  - Toward Achieving Harmonization in a Nano-cytotoxicity Assay Measurement through an Interlaboratory Comparison Study
                  - Surface plasmon resonance microscopy: achieving a quantitative optical response
                  -  Design, sensitivity analysis, and testing of a Caenorhabditis elegans nanoecotoxicity assay 
                  - Strategies for Achieving Measurement Assurance for Cell Therapy Products
                  - Large-scale Time-lapse Microscopy of Oct4 Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies
                  - Performance Benchmarking and Intensity Calibration of a Widefield Fluorescence Microscope Using Fluorescent Glas

## Contacts

### Group Leader

                -  John T. Elliott  john.elliott@nist.gov      (301) 975-8551   

### Office Manager

                -  Angela Furlow  angela.furlow@nist.gov      (301) 975-5317   

### Staff

                -  Anthony Asmar  anthony.asmar@nist.gov      (301) 975-5512   
                -  Donald H. Atha  donald.atha@nist.gov      (301) 975-3092   
                -  Talapady N. Bhat  talapady.bhat@nist.gov      (301) 975-5448   
                -  Jason Finley  jason.finley@nist.gov      (301) 975-8022   
                -  Michael Halter  michael.halter@nist.gov      (301) 975-4195   
                -  Edward Kwee  edward.kwee@nist.gov      (301) 975-2618   
                -  Bryant C. Nelson  bryant.nelson@nist.gov      (301) 975-2517   
                -  Diane Nelson  diane.nelson@nist.gov      (301) 975-8022   
                -  Elijah Petersen  elijah.petersen@nist.gov      (301) 975-8142   
                -  Alexander Peterson  alexander.peterson@nist.gov      (301) 975-5665   
                -  Vytas Reipa  vytautas.reipa@nist.gov      (301) 975-5056   
                -  Alessandro Tona  alex.tona@nist.gov      (301) 975-8524   

### Associates

                -  Joseph Hubbard  joseph.hubbard@nist.gov      (301) 975-2211   
                -  Ramila Joshi  ramila.joshi@nist.gov      (301) 975-8022   
                -  Mahir Mohiuddin  mahir.mohiuddin@nist.gov      (301) 975-5448   

### HEADQUARTERS

301-975-2000

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