Imagine waking to a bright, sunny day, but not really being able to see. Some people go their whole lives without witnessing that vivid red ball from their youth or the facial features of a loved one. Kristina Narfström, a veterinary ophthalmologist at the University of Missouri, is doing research that promises to provide some light at the end of the tunnel.

Another treatment involves inserting a small microchip to replace the dead photoreceptors and get the electrical juices of the eye flowing. This device, known as an Artificial Silicon Retina (ASR), is conceptually similar to a bionic eye. The ASR was designed more than 15 years ago to enhance human vision. Narfström hopes that her research will improve the chip.