Researchers have created the world's first artificial retina using soft synthetic tissue, which they say could be used to develop a new generation of less-invasive bionic eye implants in the future.

Made from a combination of water-based hydrogel droplets and light-sensitive proteins, the synthetic retina is designed to mimic the functionality of its biological counterpart while existing in harmony with the tissue that makes up the rest of the inner eye.

"The human eye is incredibly sensitive, which is why foreign bodies like metal retinal implants can be so damaging, leading to inflammation and/or scarring," says chemical biologist Vanessa Restrepo-Schild from the University of Oxford in the UK.