FRET

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

FRET or Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer is a physical phenomenon that is used as a molecular ruler in various scientific applications. It is a distance-dependent interaction between the electronic excited states of two dye molecules, a donor and an acceptor. When the donor dye is excited, it can transfer its energy to the acceptor dye through non-radiative dipole-dipole coupling. The efficiency of this energy transfer is inversely proportional to the sixth power of the distance between donor and acceptor, making FRET extremely sensitive to small changes in distance.

Mechanism of FRET[edit | edit source]

The mechanism of FRET involves the transfer of energy from a donor molecule to an acceptor molecule. The donor molecule, in its excited state, may transfer energy to an acceptor molecule through non-radiative dipole-dipole coupling. The efficiency of this energy transfer is inversely proportional to the sixth power of the distance between the donor and acceptor, making FRET extremely sensitive to small changes in distance.

Applications of FRET[edit | edit source]

FRET has a wide range of applications in the field of biology and chemistry. It is used as a molecular ruler to measure distances at the nanoscale in biomolecules. It is also used in the study of protein interactions, cell signaling, and other biological processes. In addition, FRET is used in the development of biosensors and in drug discovery.

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


FRET Resources

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD