- anneal
- in molecular biology, the process by which two single strands of DNA hydrogen bond at complementary nucleotides to form a double-stranded molecule
- biomarker
- an individual protein that is uniquely produced in a diseased state
- biotechnology
- the use of artificial methods to modify the genetic material of living organisms or cells to produce novel compounds or to perform new functions
- cloning
- the production of an exact copy—specifically, an exact genetic copy—of a gene, cell, or organism
- gel electrophoresis
- a technique used to separate molecules on the basis of their ability to migrate through a semisolid gel in response to an electric current
- gene therapy
- the technique used to cure heritable diseases by replacing mutant genes with good genes
- genetic engineering
- alteration of the genetic makeup of an organism using the molecular methods of biotechnology
- genetic map
- an outline of genes and their location on a chromosome that is based on recombination frequencies between markers
- genetic testing
- identifying gene variants in an individual that may lead to a genetic disease in that individual
- genetically modified organism (GMO)
- an organism whose genome has been artificially changed
- genomics
- the study of entire genomes, including the complete set of genes, their nucleotide sequence and organization, and their interactions within a species and with other species
- metagenomics
- the study of the collective genomes of multiple species that grow and interact in an environmental niche
- model organism
- a species that is studied and used as a model to understand the biological processes in other species represented by the model organism
- pharmacogenomics
- the study of drug interactions with the genome or proteome; also called toxicogenomics
- physical map
- a representation of the physical distance between genes or genetic markers
- plasmid
- a small circular molecule of DNA found in bacteria that replicates independently of the main bacterial chromosome; plasmids code for some important traits for bacteria and can be used as vectors to transport DNA into bacteria in genetic engineering applications
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- a technique used to make multiple copies of DNA
- protein signature
- a set of over- or under-expressed proteins characteristic of cells in a particular diseased tissue
- proteomics
- study of the function of proteomes
- recombinant DNA
- a combination of DNA fragments generated by molecular cloning that does not exist in nature
- recombinant protein
- a protein that is expressed from recombinant DNA molecules
- reproductive cloning
- cloning of entire organisms
- restriction enzyme
- an enzyme that recognizes a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA and cuts the DNA double strand at that recognition site, often with a staggered cut leaving short single strands or “sticky” ends
- reverse genetics
- a form of genetic analysis that manipulates DNA to disrupt or affect the product of a gene to analyze the gene’s function
- transgenic
- describing an organism that receives DNA from a different species
- whole genome sequencing
- a process that determines the nucleotide sequence of an entire genome