International audienceIn this overview, femtosecond fluorescence studies of various DNA constituents are presented, ranging from the monomeric chromophores to different model helices. In order to interpret the experimental results in terms of fundamental processes on the molecular scale they are discussed in the light of recent theoretical calculations. The ultrafast fluorescence decay observed for the monomers is explained by the involvement of highly efficient conical intersections (CI) between the first singlet excited state and the ground state. For the model helices, the picture is more complex, but fluorescence anisotropy data reveal collective effects
