AI Glossary

A comprehensive A-Z index of AI terminology and definitions

A

AlphaFold

DeepMind's AI system that predicts three-dimensional protein structures from amino acid sequences with near-experimental accuracy.

Artificial Intelligence

Computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as understanding language, recognizing patterns, and making decisions.

B

Bioinformatics

Interdisciplinary field combining biology, computer science, and statistics to analyze and interpret biological data at scale.

C

Computer Vision

AI technology enabling machines to interpret and understand visual information from microscopy images, pathology slides, and biological imaging.

CRISPR

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats — a revolutionary gene editing technology enabling precise DNA modifications guided by AI design tools.

D

Deep Learning

Advanced ML using multi-layer neural networks to learn complex patterns in large datasets, enabling breakthrough AI capabilities.

Digital Twin

Virtual replica of a biological system, patient, or clinical trial that simulates behavior using AI and computational models.

Drug Repurposing

Strategy of identifying new therapeutic uses for existing approved drugs using AI analysis of biological data and clinical records.

E

ELN

Digital replacement for paper lab notebooks that captures experimental procedures, data, and observations with AI-assisted documentation.

Embeddings

Dense vector representations of biological entities (molecules, proteins, genes) capturing functional and structural similarity in numerical form.

F

Foundation Models for Biology

Large-scale AI models pre-trained on biological data (sequences, structures, omics) that can be fine-tuned for diverse downstream tasks.

G

Generative AI

AI that creates new content including molecular structures, protein sequences, text, and structured data based on learned patterns.

Genomics

The study of complete genomes — all genetic material in an organism — using high-throughput sequencing and AI analysis.

H

High-Throughput Screening

Automated testing method using robotics and AI to rapidly assay thousands to millions of chemical or biological samples.

L

Large Language Model

Advanced AI model trained on massive text datasets to understand and generate human-like language, enabling natural conversation and complex reasoning.

LIMS

Software platform that manages laboratory samples, data, workflows, and instruments, increasingly enhanced with AI for automated data capture and analysis.

M

Machine Learning

AI technique where algorithms learn patterns from data to make predictions and decisions without being explicitly programmed for each scenario.

Microbiome

The complete community of microorganisms living in a specific environment, analyzed using AI to understand health, disease, and therapeutic potential.

Molecular Dynamics

Computational simulation of physical movements of atoms and molecules over time, revealing dynamic behavior of biological systems.

N

Natural Language Processing

AI technology enabling computers to understand, extract, and generate information from scientific text, literature, and clinical documentation.

Neural Network

AI architecture inspired by brain structure, consisting of interconnected layers of nodes that process information.

O

Organ-on-a-Chip

Microfluidic cell culture device that simulates organ-level physiology using AI-optimized design and real-time monitoring.

P

Pharmacokinetics

Study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs — now predicted with high accuracy by AI models.

Protein Folding

The process by which a linear chain of amino acids assumes its functional three-dimensional structure, now predictable by AI.

Proteomics

Large-scale study of all proteins in a cell, tissue, or organism, including their structures, functions, and interactions.

R

Reinforcement Learning

ML technique where AI agents learn optimal strategies through trial-and-error, receiving rewards for beneficial actions.

Retrieval Augmented Generation

AI technique combining LLM generation with real-time information retrieval from scientific knowledge bases for accurate, evidence-grounded responses.

S

Single-Cell Analysis

Technologies and AI methods for profiling individual cells to understand cellular heterogeneity, states, and trajectories.

Synthetic Biology

Engineering discipline that designs and constructs new biological parts, devices, and systems using AI-guided design principles.

T

Transformer

Neural network architecture using attention mechanisms to process sequential data, foundation of modern AI models.

V

Virtual Screening

Computational technique using AI to rapidly evaluate millions to billions of molecular candidates against biological targets to identify potential drug hits.