TF1 is designed to be a superior fluorophore alternative to EDANS。 TF1 has (a)。 much stronger absorption; (b)。 much stronger fluorescence intensity; and (3)。 much less environment-sensitive fluorescence。 Additionally their fluorescence is pH-independent from pH 3 to 11。 These characteristics make this new dye family a superior alternative to EDANS。 TF1-labeled peptides and nucleotides exhibit much stronger fluorescence and higher sensitivity than the ones labeled with EDANS。 In pairing with our Tide Quencher 1 (TQ1), a variety of FRET peptides and nucleotides can be developed for detecting proteases and molecular beacons with enhanced sensitivity and stability。