Computational Biology vocabulary
Talk genomics and bio AI. 28 hand-written terms with real workplace examples.
Learn computational biology terms every day.
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NGS
Next-generation sequencing. High-throughput methods that read millions of DNA or RNA fragments in parallel.
Variant Calling
The computational step that finds places where a sample's sequence differs from a reference genome.
Allele Frequency
How common a specific gene variant is in a sample, population, or tumor sequencing run.
Somatic Mutation
A DNA change acquired in body cells during life, not inherited from parents. Common language in tumor genomics.
Oncogene
A gene that can drive cancer growth when mutated or overexpressed. Driver oncogenes are priority drug targets.
Biomarker
A measurable biological signal used to diagnose, predict response, or track disease. Often a gene, protein, or assay result.
Tumor Mutational Burden
A count of mutations in a tumor genome, often used as a biomarker for immunotherapy response.
Liquid Biopsy
A blood or body-fluid test that detects tumor DNA or other cancer signals without a tissue biopsy.
CRISPR
A gene-editing system that cuts DNA at a programmed location so cells can delete, insert, or rewrite genetic material.
CAR-T
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. Immune cells are engineered to recognize and attack a cancer target.
Immunotherapy
Treatment that helps the immune system recognize and fight disease, especially cancer. Includes checkpoint drugs and cell therapies.
In Vivo Editing
Gene or cell editing performed inside the patient's body instead of manufacturing edited cells outside the clinic.
RNA-seq
Sequencing that measures which genes are expressed by reading RNA transcripts. Core method in transcriptomics.
Proteomics
Large-scale study of proteins in a sample, including which proteins are present and how abundant they are.
Single-cell
Assays and analysis that measure each cell separately instead of averaging a bulk tissue sample.
Differential Expression
Statistical comparison of gene or protein levels between conditions to find what changed.
Protein Folding
How a protein chain settles into a 3D shape that determines function. Structure models predict folding from sequence.
Antibody
A Y-shaped protein that binds a specific molecular target. Designed antibodies are a major drug modality.
Ligand
A molecule that binds a protein or receptor. Drug discovery often searches for ligands that activate or block a target.
Binding Affinity
How tightly a ligand or antibody sticks to its target. Stronger affinity often means a more potent binder.
Biomedical LLM
A large language model trained or adapted on biomedical text, literature, and domain data to assist scientific work.
Sequence Embedding
A numeric vector representation of a DNA, RNA, or protein sequence that models can compare and search.
Perturbation Prediction
Using models to forecast how cells or pathways respond when a gene or drug changes the system.
Target Discovery
Finding biological molecules worth aiming a drug or therapy at, often with omics data and AI ranking.
Companion Diagnostic
A test used with a specific therapy to show which patients are likely to benefit or need monitoring.
Synthetic Control Arm
A modeled stand-in for a traditional control group, built from historical or real-world data with regulator agreement.
RECIST
Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Standard rules for measuring tumor response on imaging in trials.
IND
Investigational New Drug application. The filing that lets a sponsor begin clinical testing of a new therapy in humans.
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