FRET Ventures Out of the Lab

摘要

Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) offers a unique means of visualizing biological activity. The technique uses two molecules, a donor and an acceptor. Upon excitation, if the molecules are close to one another, the donor transfers its energy to the acceptor, which then emits light. This energy transfer occurs only when the molecules are in proximity, so the emission can reflect, for example, ion binding or protein-protein interactions.