Revolution in eye research: Tübingen and Paris united for Limits2Vision”!

Revolution in eye research: Tübingen and Paris united for Limits2Vision”!

There are a lot of exciting things happening in the world of eye research. A new, pioneering project combines the expertise of Germany's University of Tübingen and the Institut de la Vision (IDV) at the Sorbonne Université in Paris. Under the title “Limits2Vision”, researchers from both countries are jointly targeting the challenges of studying the energy metabolism of the retina. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Franco-German University (DFH) are strongly supporting this initiative, because from January 2026 over five million euros will flow into the graduate college in order to put the program into practice for five years idw online reported.

The retina, a complex nervous tissue with over 100 cell types and an enormous energy requirement, is central to our ability to see. This makes it all the more important to understand the mechanisms that maintain the balance between energy consumption and visual processing. 17 scientists from Tübingen are involved in the project, including 12 from the Research Institute of Ophthalmology (FIA). A further 11 researchers from Paris are contributing their ideas and experiences to the IDV.

An interdisciplinary approach

What makes the program so special? “Limits2Vision” relies on an interdisciplinary approach that connects various scientific areas such as neurobiology, physiology, pathology and artificial intelligence. Dr. Alexandra Rebsam, one of the main people responsible for the project, emphasizes the symbolic meaning of the cooperation between Germany and France. She emphasizes that this exchange will not only provide important insights, but will also play a decisive role in shaping the future of translational eye research.

But eye research does not stand alone. Around two million people worldwide are affected by retinal diseases that can lead to blindness ethz.ch reported. Diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration are particularly affected. The only solution to date is electronic implants that enable a return to vision, but their functionality has so far been limited. A current project therefore aims to further develop existing retinal implants.

Collaboration at the highest level

The initiator of this project, who was originally with Prof. Leuthold for another project position, found the “Interdisciplinary Project” project sheet while waiting for an appointment on another topic. With the help of the Hector Fellow Academy, which promotes interdisciplinary projects, know-how about retinal implants and photonics is now being brought together. The well-known professors Zrenner and Leuthold play a key role here. In this way, not only research is carried out, but also the knowledge of the next generations is passed on to doctoral students.

In the future, the individual components of retinal implants will be developed as part of the e-Retina project and signal processing will be examined in more detail in the context described. The goal? Connecting the components to demonstrate signal processing from imaging to stimulation on the retina.

In summary, both “Limits2Vision” and the developments surrounding retinal implants show that interdisciplinary exchange between scientists at an international level is not only useful, but necessary. The great progress being made here could mean the difference between vision and blindness for many people. There is great potential here that needs to be supported and pursued.