Technology glossary

Insulin Efsitora Alfa

A long-acting insulin fusion protein formulated for once-weekly injection to provide basal insulin activity in people with diabetes.

Integrative Taxonomy

An approach to identifying and classifying species by combining multiple forms of evidence, such as anatomy, genetics, behavior, ecology, and sound recordings.

Integrity Monitoring

Integrity monitoring determines whether navigation information can be trusted and warns users when errors exceed safe limits. It is especially important in safety-critical applications such as aviation.

Inter-rater reliability

Inter-rater reliability is the degree to which two or more independent evaluators assign consistent ratings to the same material. It helps distinguish a reproducible scoring rule from one that depends heavily on individual judgment. High agreement does not guarantee that the underlying criterion is clinically important or correct.

Interfacial Adhesion

The strength of attachment between two materials where their surfaces meet. Good interfacial adhesion helps multilayer devices and composites resist separation, cracking, moisture intrusion, and performance loss under mechanical or thermal stress.

Interleukin-33(IL-33)

An immune signalling protein released by stressed or injured barrier tissues, including airway cells. It can activate several inflammatory pathways, making it a target for experimental antibodies in respiratory disease.

Intermediate-Mass Black Hole

A black hole with a mass between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes.

Intermetallic Nanoparticle

A metal-alloy particle only a few nanometers across whose atoms are arranged in a highly ordered crystal structure, rather than randomly mixed, which typically makes it more stable and catalytically active than a disordered alloy of the same composition.

Internet of Things(IoT)

A network of physical devices with sensors, software, and internet connectivity that lets them collect data, exchange information, or respond to remote commands.

Interoperability Obligation

A legal or contractual requirement for a service, platform, or product to work with other systems through defined interfaces, standards, or data exchange. Such obligations can reduce lock-in and support competition, but must also address security and privacy risks.

Interstitial Fluid(ISF)

The extracellular fluid that fills spaces between tissue cells and allows exchange of nutrients, gases, signaling molecules, and waste between blood and cells. Its composition can provide biomarkers, although it is not identical to blood plasma.

Intra-Body Communication

A method for exchanging electronic signals between devices by using body tissue as part of the transmission path instead of relying only on radio waves through the air.

Intracortical Implant

A device placed within the brain's cerebral cortex to record neural activity, stimulate tissue, or both. Because electrodes are close to neurons, it can provide detailed signals, but implantation carries surgical, infection, tissue-response, and long-term reliability risks.

Inverse Design

A design approach that starts with the desired performance or behavior and uses computation to search for a structure or set of parameters capable of producing it.

Invisible Labor

Work that is essential to a product, service, or system but is overlooked, poorly documented, or not publicly visible. In technology, it can include data labeling, content moderation, quality review, maintenance, and other human tasks behind automated systems.

Ionic Conductivity

The ability of a material or tissue to carry electric current through the movement of charged ions rather than electrons alone.

Ionospheric Delay

Ionospheric delay is the change in GNSS signal travel time caused by charged particles in Earth's ionosphere. Because the effect depends on radio frequency, dual-frequency receivers can estimate and remove much of this positioning error.

Irreparable Harm

Harm that cannot be adequately corrected later through money damages or another ordinary legal remedy. Courts commonly require evidence of this harm before granting emergency injunctive relief.

Isotope Separation

A process that separates atoms of the same element according to differences in nuclear mass or radioactive properties.

Josephson junction

A thin barrier between two superconductors through which paired electrons can tunnel. Its phase-sensitive electrical behavior is a core element of SQUID sensors and many superconducting quantum circuits.

KRAS(KRAS)

A member of the RAS family of molecular switches. Mutations in the KRAS gene can keep growth signalling active and drive many pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancers.

Kv7 Potassium Channel(Kv7)

A family of voltage-gated potassium channels that helps stabilize the electrical state of neurons. When a Kv7 channel opens, potassium ions flow out of the cell, making it harder for the neuron to fire repeated electrical impulses. Drugs that increase this current are studied for conditions involving excessive neuronal excitability, including epilepsy and some psychiatric disorders.

L-Band

L-band is a portion of the microwave radio spectrum widely used for satellite navigation and communications. GPS and other GNSS systems transmit their principal ranging signals on frequencies within this band.

L1C(L1C)

L1C is a modern civilian GPS signal on the L1 frequency designed for interoperability with other global navigation satellite systems and improved performance for civilian users. GPS III satellites broadcast L1C.

L2C(L2C)

L2C is the second civilian GPS signal, introduced as part of GPS modernization to support commercial and scientific users. Used with other frequencies, it helps receivers correct atmospheric errors and improve positioning reliability.

L5 GPS Signal(L5)

L5 is a modern civilian GPS signal transmitted in a frequency band reserved for aviation safety services. Its higher power, greater bandwidth and use alongside other GPS frequencies can improve accuracy, robustness and resistance to interference.

Laboratory Automation

Laboratory automation uses software-controlled instruments and workflows to carry out experimental operations, measurements and data handling. It can repeat a predefined procedure without independently choosing the scientific question. A self-driving laboratory adds a decision process that uses results to select subsequent experiments.

Lagrange Point 2(L2)

A region about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth in the direction away from the Sun where a spacecraft can orbit while staying aligned with Earth and the Sun. The geometry supports stable thermal conditions and continuous communications, though station-keeping maneuvers are still required.

Langmuir-Schaefer Deposition

A coating technique that transfers a monolayer assembled at a liquid-air interface onto a solid surface, typically by bringing the surface into contact with the floating film. Modified forms can wrap particle monolayers around curved objects.

Laryngeal Echolocation

A biological sonar system in which an animal produces high-frequency sounds in the larynx and interprets returning echoes to navigate or locate prey.