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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 29, 2025

Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Study Conformational Changes in Membrane Proteins Expressed in Mammalian Cells

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Published on: September 16, 2014

Long-lived lanthanide emission via a pH-sensitive and switchable LRET complex.

Tamara Boltersdorf¹, Felicity N E Gavins², Nicholas J Long¹

¹Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub London W12 0BZ UK n.long@imperial.ac.uk.

Chemical Science

|July 14, 2021

Summary

Lanthanide-based luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) enhances lanthanide emission for cellular imaging. This study developed a pH-responsive probe using terbium and rhodamine, achieving switchable LRET for brighter optical probes.

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Hyperspectral Imaging as a Tool to Study Optical Anisotropy in Lanthanide-Based Molecular Single Crystals

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Published on: April 14, 2020

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Materials Science
Analytical Chemistry

Background:

Lanthanide luminescence is crucial for time-resolved cellular imaging.
Luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) can enhance weak lanthanide emission.
Optimizing LRET requires careful control over donor-acceptor distances and environments.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate energy transfer in terbium-rhodamine pairs at varying pH.
To design and synthesize a novel LRET-based probe for cellular imaging.
To achieve switchable LRET for enhanced lanthanide emission.

Main Methods:

Studied energy transfer in donor-acceptor terbium-rhodamine pairs.
Investigated pH-dependent LRET ('on' at low pH, 'off' at high pH).
Designed, prepared, and characterized a multifunctional LRET compound.

Main Results:

Observed switchable LRET in the designed terbium-rhodamine system.
Achieved an energy transfer efficiency (E) of 0.53.
Demonstrated that the targeting group sensitizes lanthanide emission.

Conclusions:

LRET is a viable strategy to enhance lanthanide emission rates.
The developed probe shows potential for brighter optical imaging applications.
pH-responsive LRET offers a mechanism for controlling probe brightness.