Scientists give mice the power to see in the dark

Chinese scientists have found a way to give mice the ability to see infrared waves - potentially opening the door for people to be able to see in the dark.

The technology is expected to enjoy a wide range of applications, including military operations, civilian security, and medical treatment for visual defects such as a color blindness, said Xue Tian, a neuroscientist from the University of Science and Technology of China.

A multidisciplinary group of scientists led by Xue and his colleagues, as well as scientists from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said they bestowed infrared vision on mice for up to 10 weeks without obvious side effects. They achieved this through a new nanotechnology that worked with the eye's existing structure, according to a paper published recently by the scientific journal Cell.