Effect of a metal nanoparticle on Foerster Resonance Energy Transfer between two fluorescent dyes

Foerster Resonance energy transfer (FRET) is an effect, in which energy from an excited fluorescent molecule (donor) is transferred to another fluorescent molecule (acceptor) through a near-field interaction. FRET is strongly distance dependent and occurs within a range of around 5nm. By comparing fluorescent intensity of the donor and acceptor conformational changes in macromolecules within this range are measured. Recently, some research groups are trying to extend the FRET distance by incorporation metal nanoparticles into the donor-acceptor system [1,2]. In this presentation, systems consisting of a donor molecule, an acceptor molecule and a metal nanoparticle with different geometries will be theoretically analysed in terms of semi-classical approach, where the donor and acceptor are treated as oscillating dipoles. Open Max [3] implementation of multiple-multiple technique will be used in simulation. The results will be compared with the data published in [1,2].