A global team has cracked a decades-old mystery, revealing the atomic structures of the molecules in our eyes that allow us to see colours.

Researchers found there are three versions of the molecules, called cone opsins, with each converting red, green or blue light into chemical signals. All three cone opsins contain the same light-sensitive vitamin A-derived molecule, with red, green and blue opsins binding to this molecule, called retinaldehyde, differently.

Within the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU, researcher Emeritus Professor Trevor Lamb was central to interpreting the important role these molecules play within the eye.

“To understand how we detect light and perceive colours, we need to know the exact structure of light-sensitive molecules in our eyes,” said Professor Lamb.

“Our perception of colour is mainly determined by the relative excitation of red, green, and blue-sensitive cone photoreceptor cells found inside our retinas, that contain these molecules.”

In the long term, this development could help scientists discover better treatments for some vision disorders, such as cone dystrophies and altered colour vision.

Published in Science, the discovery was made by a team of scientists from research institutions in China, Germany and Australia.