The retina, or light-sensitive part of the eye, is the initial point of physiological response to light that ultimately leads to the interpretation of our visual world. At the same time, this organ is made of extremely small and delicate tissue that is susceptible to degenerative changes associated with aging, genetic defects, infections or environmental influences. Retinal degeneration is manifested by the gradual death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. For thousands of years of the existence of human civilization, effective ways to treat the eye have been sought, using interventional or pharmacological methods. However, only in recent years the prospects for a real breakthrough in this field have increased thanks to the knowledge of protein mechanisms regulating the process of vision and increasingly precise surgical tools allowing to minimize human errors. The introduction of new therapies alleviating degenerative changes of the retina is not possible without the possibility of monitoring its functions. Development of new technologies ensuring non-invasive and easy acquisition of imaging information about retinal function is crucial for rapid implementation of therapy. The activities of the International Center for Translational Eye Research are focused on these issues.