Structural approaches to understanding retinal proteins needed for vision.

The past decade has witnessed an impressive expansion of our knowledge of retinal photoreceptor signal transduction and the regulation of the visual cycle required for normal eyesight. Progress in human genetics and next generation sequencing technologies have revealed the complexity behind many inherited retinal diseases. Structural studies have markedly increased our understanding of the visual process. Moreover, technical innovations and improved methodologies in proteomics, macromolecular crystallization and high resolution imaging at different levels set the scene for even greater advances. Pharmacology combined with structural biology of membrane proteins holds great promise for developing innovative accessible therapies for millions robbed of their sight or progressing toward blindness.