[thedoc (OP)]

Paul asked the Naked Scientists:
   I was wondering if it would be possible to inject an eye with a modified bacteria or virus which would consume eye-floaters and excrete material similar to the rest of the eye fluid?


What do you think?

[Pecos_Bill]

Let us sit down on the cold ground and talk of eye floaters.

They aren't caused by bacteria, but by aging and eye problems. The vitreous humor in your eyeball is kind of the consistency of jelly. If some of it liquefies, then you see it as a "floater".

If you have diabetes, that can worsen them.

If you suddenly see a lot of new ones, you should get someone to drive you to the emergency room, because it could be something that suddenly makes you blind in that eye.

[RD]

The contents of the eye can be replaced , but only justifiable in extreme cases ...

Vitreous floaters – deposits of various size, shape, consistency, refractive index, and motility within the eye's normally transparent vitreous humour which can obstruct vision. Here pars plana vitrectomy has been shown to relieve symptoms. Because of possible side effects, however, it is used only in severe cases.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrectomy   [ warning: eye-ball kebabs shown]

[Pecos_Bill]

The floaters are the result of something - age, diabetic retinopathy, a retinal tear -whatever.

Replacing damaged vitreous humor doesn't deal with the cause of it.

[evan_au]

The interior of the eye is meant to be a sterile environment. You would not want to intentionally inject bacteria into the eyeball.

My father received eye injections for macular degeneration, and the surgeon was always careful to sterilise everything before every injection.