Biomedical and biochemical tools of förster resonance energy transfer enabled by colloidal quantum dot nanocrystals for life sciences

Semiconductor quantum nanocrystals (NCs) provide the ability to control and fine-tune peak emission wavelength using the size effect, with a broad optical absorption band (excitation window) increasing toward UV wavelength range. Quantum dots with different peak emission wavelengths can be excited at the same wavelength and offer longer fluorescence lifetimes, which make them desirable donor molecules for Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based applications. In this chapter, the tools of FRET using these quantum dot nanocrystals in life science applications are addressed. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013