Newly discovered gene mutation in eye disease named after blind Irish poet

Researchers at University College Dublin (UCD) have discovered that a mutation in a gene called emc1 causes major vision problems in zebrafish. Zebrafish with this mutation had poorly developed eye cells, weaker responses to light, and changes in the normal structure of their retinas. These tiny, tropical fish are used as a tool to find novel genes that cause inherited blindness and help find better treatments for inherited retinal blindness.