Hong Kong scientists make vision 'breakthrough'
Sunday 03 July 2011
Scientists in Hong Kong said Monday they had made a "breakthrough" discovery in how animals see and react to changing light conditions, which could ultimately help fight a range of human diseases.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology team studied fruit flies' vision and discovered that a protein known as INAD acts as a regulator to help animals cope with a switch from dim-light to bright sunshine.
"Scientists have been working for decades in their attempts to tease out the...mechanisms of animal visual systems, such as how they detect light under varying conditions ranging from dark nights to days with bright sunlight," the university said in a statement.
Although scientists were aware of the INAD protein, its role in regulating vision was previously unknown, according to the researchers, whose study was published in the latest edition of prestigious US scientific journal Cell.
Defects in the visual regulator can be "disastrous", researchers said.
"It would mean disaster if it takes up to a few seconds or longer rather than a fraction of a second for a person to respond to an approaching car on the road, or for a fly to react to a flyswatter," said Professor Mingjie Zhang, who led the study.
The discovery could help scientists battle common eye conditions such as night blindness, he said.
But the oxidation process by which the INAD protein regulates light could also help scientists to better understand a range of other diseases, including AIDS and cancer, he added.
"(Oxidation) is closely linked to a range of human diseases," Zhang said.
Life & Style blogs
Kanye West's Yeezy Boost trainers: All you need to know ahead of the UK launch
Majority of UK women don't bathe or take a shower daily
This is what it's like to be dead, according to a guy who died for a bit
Brit Awards 2015: Red carpet round up, from Paloma Faith to Ed Sheeran
The remarkable archaeological underwater discovery that could open up a new chapter in the study of European and British prehistory
- 1 Scarlett Johansson new band 'already hit with legal complaint' from another The Singles
- 2 Husband and wife die holding hands within hours of each other after 67 years of marriage
- 3 What color is The Dress, white and gold or blue and black? An eyewitness gives a definitive answer
- 4 The remarkable archaeological underwater discovery that could open up a new chapter in the study of European and British prehistory
- 5 'Jihadi John': CAGE representative storms off Sky News accusing Kay Burley of Islamophobia
Negotiable: Recruitment Genius: This is an opportunity to join an innovative a...
Negotiable: Recruitment Genius: A Production Technician is required to join a ...
£25000 - £30000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: This is an opportunity for a Ne...
Excellent Package: Austen Lloyd: A very rare high level opportunity with a fir...