Bioluminescence The ability of an organisms to generate light  by a symbiotic association with bioluminescent bacteria. Bioluminescent bacteria generate light when proteins known as luciferins are converted to oxyluciferins by the enzyme luciferase in the presence of oxygen.

Biomarker A physical, functional, biochemical or molecular indicator of a physiological or disease process.

Biomass 1. The organic mass that is useful as an energy source or for its constituent chemicals.2 The cell mass produced by a population of living organisms 3. Organic matter derived the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy.

Biomineralisation  The synthesis and break down of minerals by living organisms. Microbial Biomineralisation is of interest to biotechnologists as it provides a means to isolate and purify these minerals.

Biomoby An international group of biological data hosts, biological data service providers, and coders whose aim is to set standards for biological data representation, distribution, and discovery.

Biomembrane A phospholipid bilayer associated with proteins that surrounds cells and organelles and functions as a permeability barrier. In some cases, the bilayer is associated with cholesterol and glycolipids. Biometrics See biometry.

Biopesticide A compound that kills organisms due to specific biological effects rather than as a broader chemical poison. These include bioinsecticides and biofungicides. Biopesticides  are passive agents, whereas biocontrol agents are active and seek out the pest to be destroyed. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is the most extensively used biopesticide. It synthesises an insecticidal crystal toxin that specifically interferes with the absorption of food from the guts of some insects but is harmless to mammals. Biopesticides are biodegradable and are targeted to specific elements of the pest’s metabolism.

Biopharmaceuticals Also known as biologics. Pharmaceuticals that are inherently biological. Also refers to a company involved in the discovery and development of pharmaceuticals.

Biopolymers Polymers made from biological precursors or by living organisms. Synthetic biopolymers are made by polymerization of biological monomers such as hyaluronate polymers from hyaluronic acid.  Polymers made by living organisms may be structural or storage materials. The most widely used biopolymers are the polyhydroxyalkanoates(PHAs) such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).

 Biopreservation The preservation of food using biological materials. For example, nicin, a bacterial protein that functions as a broad spectrum antibiotic.

Bioprocess Any process that uses complete living cells or their components such as enzyme to obtain desired physical or chemical changes.

Bioprospecting The search for new biological sources of pharmaceuticals from plant or microbial strains.

Biopterin An enzymatic cofactor derived from protein. It is required for some redox reactions. It functions as a cofactor for phenylalanine hydroxylase in the tetrahydro form.

Bioreactor A fermentation vessel or fermenter in which a biological reaction is carried out by cells, cell extracts or enzymes. The growth chamber for cells or microorganisms.

Bioremediation A process that uses living organisms for the removal of pollutants, contaminants and waste from water or soil.

BIOS Basic Input-Output System. The lowest – level operating system of a computer that control elementary functions such as reading and writing to disks, read only to input and displaying readable characters on the monitor. This is normally essential to run the operating system.