Why should I use FRET?

FRET can detect molecular interactions and measure distances at the nanometer scale (1-10 nm), providing information about protein-protein interactions and nucleic acid hybridization events. FRET is also highly sensitive to changes in distance between donor and acceptor fluorophores, enabling the detection of molecular processes and low-abundance targets. Additionally, by utilizing FRET researchers can observe and track ion fluctuations within mitochondria in real-time, enabling the analysis of cellular metabolism, the onset of diseases, and signal transduction processes. This technology can also be multiplexed with other techniques. For example, FRET imaging using GFP spectral mutants enables the localization and observation of both ion binding and molecular protein-protein interactions in living cells. Using a FRET pair like CFP and YFP in microscopy enables the direct detection of integrin interactions between molecules within cells.