| microbial genetics | The study of hereditary mechanisms of microbes. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| microbial herbicides | <biology, ecology, plant biology> Microorganisms that are toxic to specific plants or insects. Because of their narrow host range and limited toxicity, these microorganisms may be preferable to their chemical counterparts for certain pest control applications. (29 Oct 1998) |
| microbial mining | The use of microorganisms to remove minerals, particularly metals, from rocks. See: biohydrometallurgy, leaching. (14 Nov 1997) |
| microbial RNase II | <enzyme> An enzyme endonucleolytically cleaving RNA to 3'-nucleotides with 2',3'-cyclic nucleotides as intermediates. Synonym: Escherichia coli RNase I, microbial RNase II, plant RNase, RNase N2. (05 Mar 2000) |
| microbial sensitivity tests | Any tests that demonstrate the relative efficacy of different chemotherapeutic agents against specific microorganisms (i.e., bacteria, fungi, viruses). (12 Dec 1998) |
| microbial vitamin | A substance necessary for the growth of certain microorganisms, e.g., biotin, p-aminobenzoic acid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| colony count, microbial | Enumeration by direct count of viable, isolated bacterial or fungal cells or spores capable of growth on solid culture media. Each colony (i.e., microbial colony-forming unit) represents the progeny of a single cell in the original inoculum. The method is used routinely by environmental microbiologists for quantifying organisms in air, food, and water; by clinicians for measuring patients' microbial load; and in antimicrobial drug testing. (12 Dec 1998) |
| drug resistance, microbial | The ability of microorganisms, especially bacteria, to resist or to become tolerant to chemotherapeutic agents, antimicrobial agents, or antibiotics. This resistance may be acquired through plasmids containing resistance factors (r factors). (12 Dec 1998) |