A colorized electron microscope image shows lipid nanoparticles containing a cancer drug. The amount of drug contained depends on the size of each nanoparticle. NIST researchers have developed a new analysis to better understand how the useful properties of nanoparticles depend on their size — in this example, to optimize drug delivery to cancer patients. The new analysis can also find use in other products that use nanoparticles and other nanomaterials, including electronics, ceramics and coatings.
Credit: Dr. Pierre-Alain Burnouf/Shutterstock, Natasha Hanacek/NIST
August 6, 2026
Nanoscience, which studies small objects, has a big problem. According to a team of scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the field confronts a pervasive error of data analysis that can give misleading insights into how these tiny objects’ properties depend on their size. The team also offers a practical solution — a mathematical correction that can reveal how these materials truly behave.
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