biobrick
n.— «Rob Carlson notes that the emerging biotechnology of using standardized, modular biological parts to assemble synthetic organisms (or “genetically engineered machines”) is already seeing its first intellectual property dust-up. From early on, these standardized, modular biological parts (SMBPs) have been referred to as “biobricks”—a pretty common-sense term, evoking both the classic image of basic components for building structures and the snap-together, make-what-you-want construction fun of LEGO. It was so common sense that the organization seeking to create and referee standards decided to call itself the BioBricks Foundation (BBF), and to slap a trademark on the term “biobrick.” The BBF is now actively admonishing people who use “biobrick” in a generic way to describe SMBPs.» —“Tuesday Topsight” by Jamais Cascio Open the Future Oct. 9, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
One of the most powerful words you’ll ever hear — and one of the most poignant — isn’t in dictionaries yet. But it probably will be one day. The word is endling, and it means “the last surviving member of a species.” The...
Ribbon fall. Gallery forest. You won’t find terms like these in most dictionaries, but they and hundreds like them are discussed by famous writers in the book Home Ground: A Guide to the American Landscape. The book is an intriguing collection...