in silico

Definition

In computer simulation or in virtual reality.

Etymology

From in and silicon (from Latin silex (“flint, pebble, stone; crag, rock”)) + Latin -ō, by analogy with English in vitro (“in glass, referring to an experiment conducted in a test tube”). The silico component refers to silicon chips which were used for computing at the time when the term was coined.

Example Sentences

• "He was able to dissect the frog in silico."
• "In the future, computers can be used as experimental tools, generating a new source of investigation of living organisms, their study in silico (in contrast to in vivo or in vitro)."
• "The term "virtual screening" (or in silico screening) was first reported in the scientific literature in 1997[…]; it can be defined as a set of computer methods that analyzes large databases or collections of compounds in order to identify and prioritize likely hit candidates[…]. In silico screening search can be performed on libraries that contain physically existing compounds or on virtual libraries, and thus on compounds that are not yet synthesized. […] [I]t should be noted that in silico screening goes much beyond number crunching, it helps to generate ideas, to reduce the cost and to gain knowledge."

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