In particular, there is an interest in visual adaptation, the ability of the eye to adjust its sensitivity to match the available light.
Adaptation is a very important aspect of normal healthy vision.
When the eye does not adapt properly, it becomes impossible to see in both dim and bright light. The whole process of adaptation is still rather poorly understood. Consequently, the laboratory researchers are using electrophysiological techniques to study the control mechanisms which regulate retinal sensitivity in the mammalian retina. The goal of the research is to understand the details of the physiological mechanisms that cause thresholds to be elevated, responses to speed-up, and dynamic range to be modified. The laboratory is pursuing these goals by making recordings from the isolated retina of the rat, and other animals, with intraretinal microelectrodes.