Glossary

A device which takes information from any of several sources and places it on a single line or sends it to a single destination.

A sequencing approach that uses several pooled samples simultaneously, greatly increasing sequencing speed.

(IEEE) Computer systems that perform more than one primary function or task are considered to be multipurpose. In some situations the computer may be linked or networked with other computers that are used for administrative functions; e.g., accounting, word processing.

Relating to a member of the rodent family Muridae, including rats and mice; such as murine monoclonal antibodies derived from mice.

A chemical or physical agent that induces cellular DNA to undergo mutation (e.g. X-rays, mustard gas radiation).

The induction of mutation in the genetic material of an organism; researchers may use physical or chemical means to cause mutations that improve the production of capabilities of organisms.

Capable of inducing inheritable effect either in vitro and/or in vivo at the genetic (i.e, DNA or chromosomal) level.

An organism or an allele that differs from the wild type because it carries one or more genetic changes in its DNA. A mutant organism may carry mutated gene(s) (= gene mutation); mutated chromosome(s) (= chromosome mutation); or mutated genome(s) (= genome mutation). Also known as a variant.

A sudden, heritable change appearing in an individual as the result of a change in the structure of a gene (= gene mutation); changes in the structure of chromosomes (= chromosome mutation); or in the number of chromosomes (= genome mutation). cf genetic diversity; genetic drift.

(NBS) A method to determine test set thoroughness by measuring the extent to which a test set can discriminate the program from slight variants (mutants) of the program.

(IEEE) A testing methodology in which two or more program mutations are executed using the same test cases to evaluate the ability of the test cases to detect differences in the mutations.

Measles Virus

Minute Virus of Mice

Master Validation/Verification Plan

Moisture Vapor Transition Rate

Molecular Weight

Manufacturer's Working Cell Bank

Multi-Wavelength Detector

The mat or complex group of protoplasmic units, or the entangled mass of tubelike or filamentous structures, i.e., hyphae, that represents the “body” of plant forms classified as Eumycetes (including Phycomycetes, Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes (Fungi Imperfectii), and Basidiomycetes).

A genus of the family Mycobacteriaceae containing slender, aerobic, usually acid fast, Gram positive, rod-shaped organisms of various forms, club shaped, swollen, but seldom branched or with filaments; it includes many species which were formerly and are still called bacilli, such as the pathogens of tuberculosis and leprosy.

The smallest, free-living organism with a size range from 1.25µm to 0.5µm. Pleomorphic (many shapes) because of a lack of a cell wall. Cannot be quantitatively removed by 0.2µm filtration.

A family of bacteria (prokaryotic microorganisms), Mycoplasmataceae, possessing no cell walls (and therefore resistant to many antibiotics) and needing sterols for maintenance and growth. Frequent contaminants of animal cell cultures, they may grow attached or close to cell surfaces, subtly altering properties of the cells, but escaping detection unless specifically monitored.

A malignant human plasma cell that can synthesize excessive amounts of whole antibody or single immunoglobulin chains.

Lymphociytic cancer; a malignancy normally found in bone marrow.