Meaning & use
target binding
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountabletechnicalspecialist
The act or result of a molecule attaching firmly to a specific site on another molecule, such as a drug joining a receptor.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun with no article: target binding was measured; not 'a target binding' in this sense.
Patterns
- target binding of something to something
- the target binding of a drug
- measure target binding
The team measured target binding to see how tightly the new compound stuck to the receptor.
Strong target binding is one sign that a drug will affect only the cells it is meant to affect.
They studied the target binding of the antibody to a protein on the surface of the virus.
noununcountabletechnicalspecialist
The process by which a test or treatment is aimed at one particular molecule rather than at many at once.
Grammar: Often appears before another noun, as in target-binding test or target-binding profile.
Patterns
- target-binding test
- target-binding profile
- target binding to a receptor
The lab developed a target-binding test that flags only the harmful form of the protein.
Her thesis describes target binding in cancer cells and why it makes some tumors easier to treat.
A target-binding profile can show whether a medicine will work on a patient's specific illness.
Common combinations
- target binding affinity
- A high target binding affinity means the drug grips the receptor tightly.
- measure target binding
- Scientists measure target binding with fluorescent markers.
- target-binding assay
- The target-binding assay took two days to complete.
- specific target binding
- Specific target binding keeps side effects to a minimum.
- target binding site
- Mutations can alter the target binding site and weaken the drug's effect.
Synonyms and how they differ
- binding
- A broader term for any attachment between molecules; use 'binding' when the site is not important, and 'target binding' when the specific target matters.
- receptor binding
- Names the receptor as the target; it fits when you are talking about receptors specifically rather than any target molecule.
- affinity
- This measures how strongly two molecules stick together, while target binding refers to the attaching event itself.
Word family
Commonly confused: target binding or binding target? target binding or data binding?
target binding vs binding target
This reverses the words and usually means a goal or quota that must be met, not a molecular attachment.
target binding vs data binding
A computing term for linking a program's data to its display; it has nothing to do with molecules.
Practice
In a lab report, which sentence uses 'target binding' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Target binding' is a noun phrase, so it works as the subject followed by 'of the drug to the receptor'. Option 1 treats it as a verb, option 2 uses it as a participle after 'was', and option 3 scrambles the word order.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “target binding”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.