 |
Biotech Glossary (continued)
> A-D | E-K | L-P | Q-Z
[E] - [K]
Enzyme: A protein that acts as a
catalyst, affecting the rate at which chemical reactions occur in cells.
Complex proteins that are produced by living cells and catalyze specific
biochemical reactions.
Expression profiling: Comparing genes
expressed in healthy tissue with those expressed in diseased tissue
can help identify proteins associated with the disease, narrowing the
search for appropriate drug targets.
FDA: see Food and Drug Administration.
Fermentation: A process of growing
micro-organisms for the production of various chemical or pharmaceutical
compounds. Microbes are normally incubated under specific conditions
in the presence of nutrients in large tanks called fermentors.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
The U.S. agency responsible for regulation of biotechnology food products.
The major laws under which the agency has regulatory powers include
the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and the Public Health Service Act.
Functional Genomics: The study of
the roles genes play in directed different biological processes, including
how they contribute to or cause disease. More simply, the study of what
genes do.
Gene: The fundamental physical and
functional unit of heredity - a working subunit of DNA. Genes, located
on chromosomes, contain "codes" or "instructions"
that determine the production of proteins.
Gene expression: The process by which
a gene's coded information is translated into the structures present
and operating in the cell (either proteins or RNAs).
Gene mapping: Determination of the
relative locations of genes on a chromosome.
Gene sequencing: A laboratory technique
used to identify the arrangement (or sequence) of the "nucleotide"
building blocks in a DNA molecule or fragment. By comparing gene sequences,
researchers can identify those that may be responsible for disease state.
Gene therapy: Treatment that alters
genes (the basic units of heredity found in all cells in the body).
This treatment may involve the addition of a functional gene or group
of genes to a cell by gene insertion to correct a hereditary disease.
Genetic code: The sequence of nucleotides,
coded in triplets (codons) along the mRNA, that determines the sequence
of amino acids in protein synthesis. The DNA sequence of a gene can
be used to predict the mRNA sequence, and the genetic code can in turn
be used to predict the amino acid sequence.
Genetic engineering: The manipulation
of an organism's genetic endowment by introducing or eliminating specific
genes through modern molecular biology techniques. A broad definition
of genetic engineering also includes selective breeding and other means
of artificial selection. A technology used to alter the genetic material
of living cells in order to make them capable of producing new substances
or performing new functions.
Genetics: The scientific study of
heredity how particular qualities or traits are transmitted from parents
to offspring.
Genome: All the genetic material
in the chromosomes of a particular organism; its size is generally given
as its total number of base pairs.
 Genomics:
The study of genetic material in the chromosomes of a particular organism;
genome size is generally given as the total number of base pairs in
an organism. The biological discipline which involves identifying the
genetic basis for human disease.
Genotype: The genetic make-up of
an individual organism.
High-throughput screening (HTS):
Rapid evaluation of large numbers of chemical compounds to determine
which one(s) interact with a given drug target, usually a protein.
Hormones: Chemicals produced by glands
in the body and circulate in the bloodstream. Hormones control the actions
of certain cells or organs.
HTS: see high-throughput screening.
Human genome project: An international
project to determine the entire nucleotide sequence of the human chromosomes.
Hybridization: The binding of complementary
strands of DNA or RNA. The term is also used to refer to the production
of offspring, or hybrids, from genetically dissimilar parents.
Immunoassay: Technique for identifying
substances based on the use of antibodies.
Immunology: Study of all phenomena
related to the body's response to antigenic challenge (i.e. immunity,
sensitivity, and allergy).
IND: see Investigational New Drug
(IND) application.
In silico: The use of computer software
for modeling and testing of biological processes.
In situ: Refers to performing assays
or manipulations with intact tissues.
Investigational New Drug (IND) application:
The FDA approval process begins with an Investigational New Drug (IND)
Application which contains all the preclinical studies conducted using
the drug, as well as chemistry and manufacturing data. These include
safety and toxicology studies using the drug in animals, and any efficacy
studies that have been conducted in animals. Thirty days after submission,
if the company has received no questions or requests for further information,
the company may begin Phase I studies in humans.
In vitro: Outside a living organism.
(Literally, "in glass").
In vivo: Latin phrase meaning "in
life"; in the living organism as opposed to in vitro.
Isotope: One of two or more forms
of an element that have the same number of protons (atomic number) but
differing numbers of neutrons (mass numbers). Radioactive isotopes are
commonly used to make DNA probes and metabolic tracers.
Knockout models: Models which have
had a normal gene replaced by a marker, providing clues as to the genes
relation to organ development, viability and reproduction.
> A-D | E-K | L-P | Q-Z
|
|