Patent ID: 7776528

Claim:
A method for detecting a biomolecule by increasing intrinsic fluorescence of said biomolecule, said method comprising: positioning a metal particle and said biomolecule at a distance sufficient to increase an intrinsic fluorescent emission from said biomolecule, wherein said metal particle is a silver particle or a gold particle, and wherein said biomolecule is selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid; NADH; FAD; tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, proteins containing tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine or any combination thereof; flavins; purines; pyrimidines; formycin; and phycobiliprotein; exposing said biomolecule to an amount of exciting radiation sufficient to produce said intrinsic fluorescent emission for detection; and detecting the intrinsic fluorescent emission from said biomolecule by a fluorescence detector.