Recent studies focused on the vision of tadpoles at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and honeybees at the University of Adelaide are helping to provide new insights for research into other vision-related areas, including regenerative medicine and bio-inspired robotics.
According to researchers at Tufts University, blind tadpoles were able to process visual information from eyes grafted onto their tails after being treated with a small molecule neurotransmitter drug that augmented innervation, integration, and function of the transplanted organs.
The study, which reportedly uses a pharmacological reagent already approved for use in humans, helps provide a potential roadmap for promoting innervation in regenerative medicine, as a lack of innervation and integration can be a barrier in regenerative medicine, particularly for sensory organs that must form connections with the host to communicate auditory, visual and tactile information.
The study was recently published in the journal npj Regenerative Medicine.
Click here to read the full press release.
And research conducted at the University of Adelaide has found bees have much better vision that what was previously thought. Researchers reportedly found honeybees can clearly see objects that are as small as 1.9°, which is 30 percent better than what was previously recorded. Additionally, they found honeybees have a higher visual acuity that previously reported, and they can resolve finer details that what was previously thought.
Researchers believe their findings may be useful in the design of bio-inspired robotics and robot vision.
The study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Click here to read the full press release.
Like what you read? Follow OphthalmologyWeb to keep up with our latest articles, news and events. Plus, get special offers and more delivered to your inbox.
Source: Tufts University & University of Adelaide