Vision, the perception of light, is a major sensory process requiring the most significant resources and specializations of any system in the brain. The visual system maintains a high degree of functional precision among diverse tissues, including cornea, lens, retina, midbrain, thalamic and cortical components; and yet remains intriguingly flexible. The diversity of gross structure and microarchitecture that underlies visual function and dysfunction creates significant challenges in current vision research.
Vision Research
Vision research being a particularly prominent research area, EMD Millipore has an extensive array of neuroscience antibodies, assays, and kits for most facets of vision research.
A major tool in this work is the use of antibodies as general or specific markers of cell types and visual processes. EMD Millipore has an expansive array of neuroscience antibodies, assays and kits for most facets of vision research, including: lens; retinal structure and pharmacology; circadian rhythm; eye development; and vision-related diseases.
Eye Development
Visual system development has long occupied scientific curiosity, and research has revealed the roles of axonal guidance and competition in eye development. The latest fields to blossom also include the molecular control of morphogenesis, stem cell contributions and regeneration. Given the heterogeneous nature of the developing visual system tissue environments, from cornea to cortex, it is not surprising that there is a steady increase in the numerous and diverse protein targets implicated. EMD Millipore’s antibodies to developmental targets in the nervous system span stem cell expansion to adult differentiation.
Retinoids (active vitamin A metabolites) are critical for a variety of physiological mechanisms from diverse aspects of vertebrate development to retinal processing and even lacrimal gland function. These varied pathways involving retinoids are mediated by a broad group of nuclear receptors including retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) types, as well as retinoic acid binding proteins (CRABP). Both over and under expression of retinoid proteins or their receptors result in major developmental and physiological dysfunction.
The retina exhibits very intricate, aesthetically pleasing cytoarchitecture, as shown in the diagram. The simple, static wiring of specialized cell types, combined with complicated modulatory activity, results in an amazingly dynamic and flexible sensory processing system. The delicate and sensitive nature of retinal processing augurs the increasing volume of basic and clinical research currently targeting every neural and non-neural component. EMD Millipore has a number of products for the identification and measurement of retinal targets.
Browse all antibodies related to Vision in the retina:
There are numerous diseases that affect the eye and vision either directly or indirectly; from specific retinal degeneration diseases to broad-spectrum afflictions such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer. The retina is particularly susceptible to hypoxia, which can result from a variety of diseases or trauma. EMD Millipore has a growing number of antibodies, dyes and kits for the detection and measurement of disease-related protein targets, neural degeneration and hypoxia.
Browse all antibodies related to Vision and eye disease:
