Metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)

Metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) is a near-field optical phenomenon in which the emission intensity of a fluorophore is significantly increased through its interaction with metallic nanostructures, typically noble metals like silver or gold (Geddes & Lakowicz, 2002). This effect results from the coupling of the fluorophore's excited state with the localized surface plasmon resonance of the metal, which increases the radiative decay rate and enhances the local electromagnetic field (Lakowicz, 2001). It is important to note that MEF is not a biological molecule, receptor, or enzyme, but rather a physical process utilized in analytical chemistry and medical diagnostics (Aslan et al., 2005). In a biotechnological context, MEF is employed to improve the sensitivity of assays such as ELISAs or DNA detection, allowing for the identification of low-abundance biomarkers in diseases like cancer or infectious pathologies (Xie et al., 2013). Because it is an optical technique and not a biological entity, it does not have intrinsic biological functions, disease-causing roles, or pharmacological interactions with drugs. Its primary value lies in its application as a diagnostic tool to enhance the detection limits of various biological analytes.

Other names

Plasmon-enhanced fluorescencePEFSurface-enhanced fluorescenceSEFRadiative decay engineeringMetal-induced fluorescence enhancement

Not applicable. Metal-enhanced fluorescence is a physical optical phenomenon and does not serve as a biological target for drug interaction.