Seeing Eyes

Eyes are our window on the world, but for researchers hoping to discover the secrets behind how they work, they’re a window made of one-way glass. Much of our understanding of how the eye and brain interact comes from dissections of removed eyes, which can only tell you so much. A new approach uses a tiny injectable mesh of electronics (pictured in place in a mouse eye) to directly monitor activity in a healthy eye. The mesh settles, conforming to contours at the back of the eye (retina), and interfaces with individual cells without impairing vision or movement. Tiny sensors then record activity for up to two weeks, allowing researchers to track detailed patterns of cell activity. The technique has already revealed new information about how our eyes behave at different times of day, and researchers hope it could open a window on everything from glaucoma to vision-restoring prosthetics.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Anthony Lewis

Writer

Ant was the web editor in the early days of BPoD, and has since worked with the UK’s top science organisations as a writer and multimedia producer. He now splits his time between freelance work and managing multimedia at The Lancet.

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• Image from the Lieber Group, Harvard University. All rights reserved.
• Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
• Image reprinted with permission from the AAAS - the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Published in Science, June 2018