UAS regulatory sequences drive expression of a fluorescent biosensor for Rac activity. The biosensor is composed of two fluorescent proteins (YPet and CFP) which are separated by sequence encoding the Cdc42- and Rac-interactive binding motif of PAK1 followed by the Hsap\RAC1 coding region. When the Hsap\RAC1 polypeptide is activated (by binding GTP instead of GDP), it is bound by the PAK1 motif, altering the conformation of the protein and increasing the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the two fluorophores.