Night vision has long been the sole territory of X-Men and Navy Seals, a superhero ability inaccessible to mere mortals. But, that could be all changing soon.

An independent “citizen science” group called Science for the Masses has released a study claiming that a natural molecule called Chlorin e6, found in algae and other plants, may be able to provide humans with enhanced night vision.

Jeff Tibbets, the medical officer of the group's lab, claims that Chlorin e6 has been around for a while. The medical officer said, “There are a fair amount of papers talking about having injected it in models like rats and its been used intravenously since the 1960s as treatments for different cancers. After doing the research, you have to take the next step.”

This next step entailed eye-dropping 50 microliters Chlorin directly on to the eyes of a biochemical researcher and test subject Gabriel Licina.

Licina says that after an hour, he was able to discern shapes in the night at much greater distances than normal.

“We had people go stand in the woods,” Licina said. “At 50 meters, I could figure who they were, even if they were standing up against a tree.”

The effect lasted for a few hours, and Licina's eyesight was perfectly normal the next day.

The organization will continue researching Chlorin, particularly the long term effects of the procedure.

Tibbets notes that this project is a great example of his organization's populist goals: “For us, it comes down to pursuing things that are doable but won’t be pursued by major corporations. There are rules to be followed and don’t go crazy, but science isn’t a mystical language that only a few elite people can speak.”