serotype

[seer-uh-tahyp, ser-]

noun

1. a group of organisms, microorganisms, or cells distinguished by their shared specific antigens as determined by serologic testing.

2. the set of antigens that characterizes the group.

verb (used with object)

serotyped, serotyping 

1. to classify by serotype.

serotype

/ ˈsɪərəʊˌtaɪp /

noun

1. med a category into which material, usually a bacterium, is placed based on its serological activity, esp in terms of the antigens it contains or the antibodies produced against it

Word History and Origins

Origin of serotype¹

First recorded in 1945–50; sero- + -type

Example Sentences

Carbona remade BioLife into AveXis: Av for adeno-associated virus serotype 9, the engine of Kaspar’s drug; ve for vector; X for the DNA helix; and Is for Isis, the goddess of children, nature and magic.

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“It is just a new serotype where the N1 segment is replaced by N9,” he said.

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The World Health Organization declared North and South America polio-free as of 1994, but in June 2022, a young adult living in Rockland County, New York, was diagnosed with serotype 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus.

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Of the three types of wild poliovirus — serotypes 1, 2, and 3 — serotype 1 is the most virulent and the most likely to cause paralysis.

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A: The World Health Organization declared North and South America polio-free as of 1994, but in June 2022, a young adult living in Rockland County, New York, was diagnosed with serotype 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus.

Read more on Seattle Times