| cosmid | <molecular biology> An artificially constructed type of bacteriophage lambda cloning vector containing the cos gene of phage lambda. Cosmids can be packaged in lambda phage particles for infection into E. Coli, this permits cloning of larger DNA fragments (up to 45 kb) than can be introduced into bacterial hosts in plasmid vectors. They are used as cloning vehicles for the study of aberrant eukaryotic structural genes and also as genetic vectors for introducing the nucleic acid of transforming viruses into cultured cells. Often used for construction of genomic libraries, because of their ability to carry relatively long pieces of DNA insert, compared with plasmids. (04 Jul 1999) |
|---|---|
| cosmid map | <molecular biology> A physical map that includes a collection of bacteria containing cosmids that carry the DNA fragments under study. (10 Nov 1998) |