building block

The energy that is being harvested as part of this research is being generated by squeezing amino acid molecules, the building blocks of proteins that exist in the human body.

Epigenetics is the part of genetics that's based not on the sequence of genetic building blocks but on small yet characteristic chemical markers on these building blocks.

Crystals are the building blocks that make up many over-the-counter and prescription drugs, insecticides to fight mosquitoes, explosives such as TNT, semiconductors, and light-emitting technologies used in television screens and cell phones.

French label A.P.C. is the master of wardrobe building blocks, and a great place to turn for luxurious basics.

British computer scientist Professor Demis Hassabis has won a share of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for "revolutionary" work on proteins, the building blocks of life.