A new study by Brown University researchers suggests that gold nanoparticles – microscopic bits of gold thousands of times thinner than a human hair – might one day be used to help restore vision in people with macular degeneration and other retinal disorders. In a study published in the journal ACS Nano and supported by the National Institutes of Health, the research team showed that nanoparticles injected into the retina can successfully stimulate the visual system and restore vision in mice with retinal disorders. The findings suggest that a new type of visual prosthesis system in which nanoparticles, used in…