“Cone photoreceptor - optics, connection, and development”

Our vision starts from photon-capture by photoreceptors. Cone photoreceptors are particularly important for human vision – our daylight vision depends on the foveal region of the retina that is composed of cones chiefly. While most mammals have a rod-dominant retina thus are challenging for cone research, we use the ground squirrel as a model system to investigate cone photoreceptor biology. In this seminar, I will present data on a cone photoreceptor structural feature that optimizes photon capture, as well as subtype-specific connections of cones and our efforts to understand the molecular underpinning of such specific connections.