Current Priorities
Our current priorities target global challenges and emerging technologies where measurement excellence is critical, from safe innovation to better and faster diagnostics, environmental monitoring and advanced therapeutics.
Diagnostics
We ensure trusted, reliable, and accurate standards and methods that drive progress in clinical diagnostics. Our work underpins advances in detecting infectious diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions, while enabling the development of next-generation solutions in precision medicine and point-of-care testing—delivering confidence and accelerating innovation in healthcare.
Find out more
Engineering biology
By developing metrological tools, methods, materials, and standards for engineering biology, we are improving measurement confidence, ensuring reliability, and de-risking innovation—empowering breakthroughs that shape the future of biological engineering.
Find out more
Nano technology
Nanomaterials are increasingly being used in everyday life, present in over 1300 commercial products from medicine to food. Our world-leading methods for characterising their physical and chemical properties ensure they can be used safely and effectively across food and consumer products, supporting protecting public and environmental health.
Find out more
Skills
Our expert-led knowledge transfer and skills training in analytical measurement science is empowering industries—through best practice guides, hands-on courses, and interactive webinars we build capability and confidence across sectors.
Find out more
Sustainability
Our world leading research addresses some of the biggest environmental challenges of our time, including food authentication and sustainability, climate change, renewable resources and water pollution.
Find out more
Strategy
Our Chemical and Biological Metrology strategy is focused on maintaining and developing capabilities across our core, developing and emerging metrology areas. Informed by recommendations from the International Science Review 2023 and by input from a wide range of stakeholders, our strategy uses Measurement Readiness Levels (MRLs) to track the maturity of techniques across science areas, enabling consistent benchmarking and progress monitoring.
Find out more
Get in touch
If you’re interested in exploring partnership opportunities with the NML or learning more about our measurement capabilities, we’d love to hear from you.