NIST reference materials are 'gold standard' for bio-nanotech research

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued its first reference standards for nanoscale particles targeted for the biomedical research community -- literally "gold standards" for labs studying the biological effects of nanoparticles. The three new materials, gold spheres nominally 10, 30 and 60 nanometers in diameter, were developed in cooperation with the National Cancer Institute's Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory.