Mammalian Near-Infrared Image Vision through Injectable and Self-Powered Retinal Nanoantennae.

Night-vision nanoparticles

28 August 2019

Mice gain the ability to see in the dark when their eyes are injected with metal nanoparticles that convert infrared radiation into visible light.

All objects and animals emit low-energy infrared radiation, even in the dark, but the human eye can only pick up visible light.

Now, a team co-led by researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China has produced metal nanoparticles that capture infrared radiation and re-emit it at as green light.

The researchers injected their nanoparticles into the back of mice’s eyes, attaching them to the light receptors. When treated mice were set loose in a dark maze lit only by infrared, they quickly navigated through it, whereas untreated mice blundered about blindly. The nanoparticles did not reduce the mice’s vision in normal light.

Built-in night vision could help soldiers during military operations or police on nightshifts, where handheld devices could be a hindrance.

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References

1. Cell 177, 243–255 (2019). doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.01.038