# A novel in vivo functional imaging platform to study the re-animation of light responses in a blind eye

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · 2020 · $69,306

## Abstract

Abstract
Synthetic azobenzene photoswitches can bypass the degenerated rod and cone photoreceptors of a blind retina
and directly photosensitize retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to restore light-response. This proposal outlines a novel
in vivo imaging platform that utilizes 2-photon tracking scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (2P-tSLO) and GCaMP6
Ca2+ imaging to visualize RGCs of blind rd1 mice that have reanimated light sensitivity. The research planned in
this fellowship entails 1) the development of an optimized photoswitch delivery system using Ca2+ imaging and
multielectrode array electrophysiology and 2) the evaluation of photoswitch light-restoration using in vivo Ca2+
imaging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10001972
- **Project number:** 5F32EY029983-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kevin Cao
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $69,306
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-07 → 2022-08-06

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10001972

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10001972, A novel in vivo functional imaging platform to study the re-animation of light responses in a blind eye (5F32EY029983-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10001972. Licensed CC0.

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