| Definition |
The terms relative fluorescence units (RFU) and RFU peak refer to measurements in electrophoresis methods, such as for DNA analysis. A relative fluorescence unit is a unit of measurement used in analysis which employs fluorescence detection.[1] Fluorescence is detected using a charge-coupled device (CCD) array, when the labeled fragments, which are separated within a capillary by using electrophoresis, are energized by laser light and travel across the detection window. A computer program measures the results, determining the quantity or size of the fragments, at each data point, from the level of fluorescence intensity.[1] Samples which contain higher quantities of amplified DNA will have higher corresponding RFU values.[2][3]
An RFU peak is a relative maximum point along a graph of the analyzed data. The data can be normalized to DNA input or additional normalizing genes. The RFU heights can range from 0 to several thousands.
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