Knowledge Center
BioBlock Glossary
Plain-language definitions for the technologies, standards, and governance concepts used across BioBlock.
- AI — Artificial Intelligence
- Machine-based simulation of human intelligence for pattern recognition and decision-making.
- API — Application Programming Interface
- Rules and tools that allow different software applications to communicate and interact.
- Audit Trail
- A chronological record of data changes that supports integrity, compliance, and traceability.
- BioX — Biotech Tokenization
- Blockchain-based representation of biological assets or processes.
- Blockchain
- A distributed digital ledger that records transactions securely, transparently, and immutably across network nodes.
- CA — Certificate Authority
- An authority that issues digital certificates to authenticate participants.
- Fabric CA
- Hyperledger Fabric’s certificate authority service. For BioBlock, it can provide cryptographic proof of membership and access rights.
- Chaincode
- Smart contracts in Hyperledger Fabric, commonly written in Go, Java, or Node.js. They can define logic for data trading, IP-NFT minting, and fee distribution.
- Consortium Blockchain
- A permissioned blockchain validated by a defined group of members, such as industry, SMEs, CDMOs, research institutes, and public actors.
- CP — Community Project
- A project led and managed by a community of stakeholders rather than one centralized organization.
- CPV — Continued Process Verification
- Ongoing monitoring of manufacturing performance to ensure consistency.
- CSV — Computer System Validation
- Evidence that digital systems used in bioprocessing meet regulatory standards.
- CtD — Compute-to-Data
- A model in which algorithms run where the data is stored, without moving the data itself. This can support sensitive or large biotech datasets.
- DAO — Decentralized Autonomous Organization
- A governance system that uses on-chain smart contracts and community voting.
- dApp — Decentralized Application
- An application that runs on a blockchain or decentralized network without a single point of control.
- Data Marketplace
- A platform for trading data assets. In BioBlock, this is a core function for research data represented as IP-NFTs and Datatokens.
- dCoP — Decentralized Community of Practice
- A community in which professionals develop knowledge and standards through decentralized participation.
- DID — Decentralized Identifier
- A self-sovereign identity standard for secure digital authentication.
- DIN SPEC
- A German fast-track standardization instrument that can define metadata and interface standards for biotech data trading.
- DLT — Distributed Ledger Technology
- An umbrella term for technologies, including blockchain, that distribute records across multiple nodes.
- DMP — Data Management Plan
- A plan for how data is collected, stored, shared, and preserved.
- Ethereum
- A blockchain platform with smart contract functionality and the source of standards such as ERC-20 and ERC-721.
- ERC-20
- A common Ethereum standard for fungible tokens.
- ERC-721
- An Ethereum standard for unique, non-fungible digital assets.
- FAIR / FAIR Data
- Principles that make research data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
- FBC — Future Bioprocessing Center
- A center focused on advancing bioprocess technologies.
- GDPR
- The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. BioBlock can keep sensitive data off-chain while storing hashes and metadata on-chain.
- GMP — Good Manufacturing Practice
- Requirements for compliant scaling and manufacture of biomedical innovations.
- High Throughput
- Automated processing of large volumes of data or samples.
- Hyperledger
- An open-source Linux Foundation project providing modular frameworks for permissioned blockchains.
- Hyperledger Fabric
- An enterprise-grade permissioned blockchain framework suitable for modular consortium governance and access control.
- Identity Management
- Systems for managing digital identities in decentralized environments.
- Inclusion
- Promoting diversity and equal access in innovation and governance.
- Interoperability
- The ability of systems to exchange and understand data. BioBlock initially focuses on semantic interoperability through metadata standards.
- IPFS — InterPlanetary File System
- A decentralized protocol for storing and sharing files across a distributed network.
- IP-NFT — Intellectual Property Non-Fungible Token
- A tokenized representation of IP rights used to express ownership, licensing, and access.
- Layer 1
- A foundational blockchain protocol such as Ethereum or Bitcoin.
- Layer 2
- A framework built on a Layer 1 network to improve speed or reduce transaction costs.
- Living Lab
- A real-world innovation environment used to test technologies in practice.
- MSP — Membership Service Provider
- A Hyperledger component that manages participant identities and roles, ensuring only authorized members can validate or trade.
- Metadata
- Descriptive information that improves data discovery, organization, and context.
- Minting
- The process of creating a token or NFT. In BioBlock, data owners or an operator may mint IP-NFTs and Datatokens.
- ML — Machine Learning
- An AI technique for learning patterns from data and making predictions.
- MT — Management Team
- The core coordination body overseeing the roadmap, compliance, and community project implementation.
- MVP — Minimum Viable Product
- A version of a platform or workflow sufficient to test key assumptions with early adopters.
- NFT — Non-Fungible Token
- A unique digital asset recorded on a blockchain.
- P2P — Peer-to-Peer
- Direct interaction between users without a centralized server.
- PAT — Process Analytical Technology
- Real-time monitoring tools for understanding and controlling bioprocesses.
- Peers
- Nodes that maintain a ledger and execute chaincode. Universities, SMEs, or CDMOs can run peer nodes.
- Permission Management
- A system for managing user rights and data access.
- PKI — Public Key Infrastructure
- A cryptographic system for secure digital communication.
- PnP — Plug and Play
- A modular system design that supports flexible integration in biomanufacturing.
- PoA — Proof of Authority
- A consensus mechanism in which authorized validators create blocks; efficient for consortium blockchains.
- PoS — Proof of Stake
- A consensus mechanism that selects validators based on token holdings or stake.
- PoW — Proof of Work
- A consensus mechanism that requires computational effort to validate transactions.
- Prototyping
- Creating preliminary models of systems or products for testing and learning.
- QC — Quality Control
- Procedures that ensure a product or dataset meets defined standards.
- Regulatory Foresight
- Anticipating future regulation to guide responsible innovation.
- SAB — Stakeholder Advisory Board
- A group of stakeholders that provides strategic advice, oversight, and guidance.
- SDK — Software Development Kit
- Tools and libraries used to build applications, including decentralized applications.
- Smart Contract
- A self-executing agreement whose rules are written in code. It can govern trading, fee distribution, governance, and upgrades.
- Social Innovation
- A novel approach to addressing social challenges, with or without technology.
- SSI — Self-Sovereign Identity
- An identity model in which individuals control their own digital credentials.
- Sustainability
- Designing systems for environmental and social resource efficiency.
- Tokenization
- Converting a physical or digital asset into a blockchain-based token.
- TPS — Transactions Per Second
- A metric used to measure blockchain throughput and scalability.
- TRL — Technology Readiness Level
- A maturity scale for technology; TRL 6 indicates demonstration of a prototype in a relevant environment.
- Upgradability
- The ability to update smart contracts through controlled proxy mechanisms and governance.
- Validation
- Confirming that a system or process performs reliably and consistently.
- Valorisation
- Increasing the value of an asset, idea, or resource through development, commercialization, or recognition.
- VC — Verifiable Credential
- A digitally signed credential used in decentralized identity systems.
- Web3
- A model of the internet built on decentralized technologies, emphasizing ownership, privacy, and blockchain-based interaction.
- Web3 Governance
- Decentralized mechanisms for managing rules, identity, and decisions.
- Web3 Gateway
- An interface connecting users and apps to blockchain networks, smart contracts, and decentralized storage such as IPFS.
- ZKP — Zero-Knowledge Proof
- A cryptographic method for verifying a claim without revealing the underlying data.