Article: An artificial retina engineered from ancient protein heads to space
Source: National Eye Institute
Published: April 12, 2021
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| Layers of bacteriorhodopsin generate a proton gradient across an ion-permeable membrane |
Industry researchers are exploring the development of an artificial retina using bacteriorhodopsin, with intended manufacturing in the microgravity environment of space on the International Space Station. A
representative for one of the companies explains, “When gravity is
nearly eliminated, so too are forces such
as surface tension, sedimentation, convection driven buoyancy, all of
which can interfere with the orientation and alignment important in the
creation of crystalline structures, nanoparticles, or improved
uniformity in layering processes." Similar to rhodopsin in human
photoreceptors, bacteriorhodopsin is a light-sensing protein found in
extremomophile microorganisms of the Archaea domain of
life. When activated by light, bacteriorhodopsin pumps hydrogen ions
across a membrane, generating an ion gradient. Additionally,
bacteriorhodopsin's molecular structure is highly ordered and thermally
stable for nanotechnology applications. In the artificial retina, layers
of purified bacteriorhodopsin generate an ion gradient across a
permeable membrane, acting in place of photoreceptors, to stimulate
bipolar cells and retinal ganglion cells. From there, the signal is
relayed via the optic nerve to the brain as usual. The microgravity
environment of space facilitates layering the bacteriorhodopsin in a
more precise orientation to create a unidirectional ion gradient, which
the companies anticipate would persist when returned to gravity on
Earth. The companies are working toward FDA approval for the use of
their artificial retina for retinitis pigmentosa, with preclinical data
still underway prior to clinical trials.
My rating of this study: ⭐⭐
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