PDA Technical Glossary
PDA Technical Reports are highly valued membership benefits because they offer expert guidance and opinions on important scientific and regulatory topics and are used as essential references by industry and regulatory authorities around the world. These reports include terms which explain the material and enhance the reader’s understanding.
The database presented here includes the glossary terms from all current technical reports. The database is searchable by keyword, topic, or by technical report. Each definition provided includes a link to the source technical report within the PDA Technical Report Portal.
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- TR 51: Biological Indicators (1)
- TR 61: Steam in Place (1)
- TR 62: Manual Aseptic Processes (1)
- TR 67: Objectionable Microorganisms (1)
- TR 69: Bioburden/Biofilm Management (1)
- TR 70: Cleaning/Disinfection Programs (1)
- TR 13: Environmental Monitoring (1)
- TR 22: Aseptic Process Simulation (1)
- TR 26: Sterilizing Filtration of Liquids (1)
- TR 41: Virus Filtration (1)
- TR 45: Depth Filtration (1)
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Aggregation
Clumping of proteins, viruses, or bacteria that may arise from several mechanisms and may be classified in numerous ways, including soluble/insoluble, covalent/noncovalent, reversible/irreversible, and native/denatured. (TR47)
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Bioburden
The total number of microorganisms per unit of material prior to sterilization. (TR13) Total number of viable microorganisms on or in a health care product prior to sterilization. (TR22)(TR61)(TR62) A population of viable microorganisms in a fluid prior to sterilizing filtration. (TR26) A measure of the contaminating organisms found in or on a given amount of material before it undergoes a sterilization process. (TR45) (TR70) The number of detectable microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) with which an object is contaminated. It is measured in CFU (colony forming units). (TR47) The number of viable, contaminating microorganisms present on a product immediately prior to decontamination. (TR51) Viable microbial contaminants associated with personnel manufacturing environments (air and surfaces), equipment, product packaging, raw materials (including water), in-process materials, and finished products. (TR 67) (TR 69)
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Cytopathic Effect (CPe)
Morphological changes induced by viruses in infected cells in invitro culture. They are usually localized around a site of initial infection and vary in appearance based on the virus and the cultured cell. (TR47)
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Cytopathic Virus
Viruses where infection of cells results in microscopically visible degeneration of the cells or other morphological changes. (TR47)
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Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)
A technique used to measure the size and size distribution of particles. Particles suspended in a solution will cause scattering of light and the extent of the scattering is related to the size and shape of the particles. (TR47)
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Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
A technique widely used in molecular biology in which a DNA polymerase is used to amplify a piece of DNA by in vitro enzymatic replication. As PCR progresses, the DNA thus generated is itself used as a template for replication. This sets in motion a chain reaction in which the DNA template is exponentially amplified. This technique may be used to quantify virus. (TR41) (TR47)
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TCld50 Assay
Quantal assays for determining the titer of a virus. The 50% tissue culture infective does (TCID50) is the dilution of virus that results in the infection of 50% of cell cultures that have been infected with the same dilution of the virus sample. (TR47)