The University of California at Irvine (UCI) recently announced that it received $3 million for research work involving retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration as part of a larger aggressive move by the school's Gavin Herbert Eye Institute to eliminate blindness by 2020, professor and chair of ophthalmology Dr. Roger Steinert said in a recent press release. Steinert is also the director of UCI's Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. 

The grant from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation will help the school create fellowship opportunities for students pursuing new eye research and participating in stem cell studies and purchase cutting-edge instruments for advanced procedures. For example, the program plans to invest in state-of-the-art equipment that could advance treatment of retinal degeneration through stem cell transplantation. 

Age-related macular degeneration affect one in 27 people in the United States, according to UCI. A team at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute has found that stem cells can be used to repair cells that are damaged from retinitis pigmentosa, which could have a significant impact on those affected by these ailments. 

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has a tight focus for its grants, including research by nonprofit institutions that involves chemistry and life sciences. 

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