Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Zobofo on July 06, 2009, 03:28:09 PM
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I was looking up some sensor methods used by biochemists to perform assays and I found something called FRET.
From my understanding (feel free to correct me) this is how it works.
FRET can occur between two atoms with similar excitation and emmission frequencies.
When a donor atom is hit with a specific frequency that excites its electron, if an acceptor atom is near enough, the energy from the excited electron in the donor atom to the excitable electron in the acceptor atom which then moves up an energy level, comes down, and flouresces.
The intersting thing about this is that supposedly this energy transfer does not occur through electromagnetic means.
Does anyone know how this energy transfer occurs?
Thanks,
Zobofo