mutagenesis

noun

mu·​ta·​gen·​e·​sis ˌmyü-tə-ˈje-nə-səs How to pronounce mutagenesis (audio)
: the occurrence or induction of mutation

Examples of mutagenesis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Further, the experiment demonstrated the randomness of mutagenesis; the mutation rate fluctuated randomly. The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 This principle predicts the enigmatic richness of metabolic strategies in clonal bacteria...and questions the safety of lethal mutagenesis...as an antimicrobial treatment. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2011 Is this a safety measure, to minimize the risk of mutagenesis and oncogenic transformation? David Warmflash, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2016 The question isn’t only whether mutagenesis is dangerous for those who swallow the pill. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2021 The possibility for harmful mutagenesis was enough to convince another pharmaceutical company, Pharmasset, to abandon their own studies of the drug back in 2003. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2021 The companies behind the drug must provide data on the effects of mutagenesis at suboptimal doses in primate and rodent models. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2021 To generate the recent enzyme, the researchers took one of the proteins that already rescued the mutant E. coli and subjected it to random mutagenesis. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 20 Jan. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mutagenesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mutagenesis was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near mutagenesis

Cite this Entry

“Mutagenesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutagenesis. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

mutagenesis

noun
mu·​ta·​gen·​e·​sis ˌmyüt-ə-ˈjen-ə-səs How to pronounce mutagenesis (audio)
plural mutageneses -ˌsēz How to pronounce mutagenesis (audio)
: the occurrence or induction of mutation

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