The first-of-its-kind model is capable of detailing how the retina—the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye—can build its complex structure from just one type of stem cell, deepening our understanding of how sight develops and how its development could inform studies of injury or disease.

Using advanced agent-based modeling, the research team have simulated key stages of retinogenesis—the process by which identical progenitor cells diversify into the six types of neurons that make up the retina.

The model shows how simple genetic rules and subtle randomness work together to form the retina’s precise layered architecture, a structure essential for how we see.