Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer

Have you ever seen a glow stick or a firefly at night and wondered how they light up? Well, they have something called bioluminescence which means they can make their own light without needing electricity.

Now, scientists have come up with a way to use this bioluminescence to help them study how things move around in cells. It's called bioluminescence resonance energy transfer or BRET for short.

Think of it like playing catch with a ball. You throw the ball to your friend but they have to catch it at just the right moment to keep the game going. It's the same with BRET.

One tiny molecule called luciferase makes the light, like the firefly making its own light. Then, another molecule called a fluorophore catches the light and acts like a catcher. But it has to be in just the right place at just the right time to catch the light and keep it going.

Scientists use BRET to study how different molecules move around in cells and how they interact with each other. Just like playing catch, it takes a lot of practice to get it just right, but once they do, they can learn a lot about how things work inside cells.