Posted on 02/28/2019 8:00:20 PM PST by BenLurkin
By injecting specialized light-tweaking nanoparticles into a mouse’s retina, that mouse is suddenly and clearly able to perceive near-infrared light — suggesting the same could be possible for us, assuming you don’t mind a needle in the eye.
The advance involves what the researchers, from the University of Science and Technology in China, call “ocular injectable photoreceptor-binding upconversion nanoparticles.”
In fact, it turns out that these researchers had already created the necessary trickery for a different reason, namely as a molecule for optogenetic triggers that would absorb infrared light (which conveniently penetrates many tissues) and emit visible spectrum light instead.
These “nanoantennae,” as the researchers call them, are biocompatible and can be combined with proteins that encourage them to bind with the photoreceptive cells in our retinas. What happens when you coat a cell that normally detects green light with a molecule that absorbs NIR radiation (900-1000 nm) and outputs something 500 nm shorter? That cell can effectively now sees IR as a shade and intensity of green.
That’s exactly what happened when the team injected these molecules into the eyes of mice ... the animals were instantly able to detect NIR in a variety of circumstances. Not only did a beam of IR cause their pupils to constrict, but patterns projected in IR indicating a reward were reliably sought by the mice, indicating this was not just a general awareness but detailed perception in the wavelength.
The molecules also seemed to cause no serious problems in the retina, such as cell death or irritation — and the mice were still able to see in IR some 10 weeks after injection.
(Excerpt) Read more at techcrunch.com ...
Great points that i didn’t think of.
And the plot wasn’t absurd.
That’s a nice change of pace :)
My neighborhood actually has some blacks and spanish moving in for the first time EVER.
They could afford the houses here so they are obviously professionals and they and their kids are nice folks.
NO ONE talks about race/ethnicity etc., as there is NO NEED TO, so it works.
Paris: “Paris P. Olgilvie. Antiquities dealer, entrepreneur.”
Riddick: “Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict. Murderer.”
That movie did have some great lines.
WHAT THE HECK HIGH SCHOOL did you go to??
Wow they did some learnin’ there!!
I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life. :)
Thank you.
I think that’s super kewl!
What type of implications are you talking about?
do they see IR AND visible light at the same time or just the IR???
Yep - just wondering what it would be like when you try to close your eyes to go to sleep.
And You Hammer Bob,,,
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