Introduction to FRET

What is FRET?

  • A non-radiative transfer of energy from a donor molecule to an acceptor molecule.

  • Förster/Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

  • Fluorescence emission from an acceptor molecule due to non radiative energy transfer when a donor molecule was excited.

Conditions for FRET

  • Donor's emission must overlap acceptor's excitation

  • Donor and acceptor molecules must be <100 Ã… (angstroms) apart.

  • Donor and acceptor molecules' dipole orientation must be parallel.