T_Warne
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I think this is absolutely fascinating. Injecting an "ocular nanoparticle" that can detect near-infrared light (NIR) directly into the eyeball allows mice to see in near IR.
https://www.cnet.com/news/scientists-give-mice-infrared-vision-turning-them-into-tiny-predators/
"Mouse eyes, like human eyes, are limited to seeing "visible light", which makes up just a tiny portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Typically, our eyes only respond to wavelengths in the spectrum between approximately 400 and 700 nanometers. Wavelengths longer than 700 nanometers are invisible to us and are designated as "infrared" (and even longer wavelengths are things like microwaves and radio waves, which we certainly cannot see).
To enable the mouse eye to see in infrared, the research team developed a nanoparticle that would shift the wavelength of incoming infrared light (at 980 nanometers) to a wavelength that was detectable by the cells in the eye (535 nanometers). The nanoparticle is so tiny that it can be injected into the inner eye where it attaches to the retinal cells -- those responsible for converting light to electric signals that can be interpreted by the brain. And by shifting the wavelength down to 535 nanometers, the mouse eye should be able to detect the once-invisible infrared light as a green glow.
The researchers tested if the mouse could detect the light by assessing their pupils. When exposed to light, mouse (and human) pupils contract to regulate how much light is passing into the eye. If the nanoparticles were working, the scientists should be able to shine the invisible infrared light into the eye and still see the pupils contract.
And that's exactly what happened. Supermouse was born. "
Here is another article with more info and a nice illustration:
https://www.slashgear.com/night-vision-eyedrops-nanoparticles-research-infrared-vision-28567893/
https://www.cnet.com/news/scientists-give-mice-infrared-vision-turning-them-into-tiny-predators/
"Mouse eyes, like human eyes, are limited to seeing "visible light", which makes up just a tiny portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Typically, our eyes only respond to wavelengths in the spectrum between approximately 400 and 700 nanometers. Wavelengths longer than 700 nanometers are invisible to us and are designated as "infrared" (and even longer wavelengths are things like microwaves and radio waves, which we certainly cannot see).
To enable the mouse eye to see in infrared, the research team developed a nanoparticle that would shift the wavelength of incoming infrared light (at 980 nanometers) to a wavelength that was detectable by the cells in the eye (535 nanometers). The nanoparticle is so tiny that it can be injected into the inner eye where it attaches to the retinal cells -- those responsible for converting light to electric signals that can be interpreted by the brain. And by shifting the wavelength down to 535 nanometers, the mouse eye should be able to detect the once-invisible infrared light as a green glow.
The researchers tested if the mouse could detect the light by assessing their pupils. When exposed to light, mouse (and human) pupils contract to regulate how much light is passing into the eye. If the nanoparticles were working, the scientists should be able to shine the invisible infrared light into the eye and still see the pupils contract.
And that's exactly what happened. Supermouse was born. "
Here is another article with more info and a nice illustration:
https://www.slashgear.com/night-vision-eyedrops-nanoparticles-research-infrared-vision-28567893/
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