GCSP research stipend | Spring 2019

Design and Characterization of Programmable FRET Biosensors

Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) is a physical phenomenon that is being used in biomedical research and drug discovery. Using fluorophore-labeled DNA nanostructures, researchers characterize the FRET efficiency of a donor-acceptor pair. The result of this project is a measurement of FRET efficiency in the dye pair, JF 549 and Atto 647N, at 3-15 nm spacing. These measurements can be used to select optimal fluorophore pairs for future FRET-based experiments and drug screening assays.