CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - What do caffeine and vision have to do with each other?

Scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale say it could help people see better.

Researchers at SIU’s School of Biological Sciences are leading the effort to create a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly treatment for myopia, or nearsightedness.

According to the university, it’s projected that about half the world’s population will be diagnosed with the condition by 2050.

In Europe, an oral drug known as 7-methelxanthine(7-MX) is used to treat it.

Unfortunately, it costs about $700 per gram.

Through a new process used by SIU researchers, the drug can be created for less than one dollar a gram.

It works by taking caffeine from used tea leaves or coffee grounds and using microbes to turn it i

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