Let’s look at things in a whole new light!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Researchers have discovered a way to look inside the body like never before. No incisions, no fancy machines—just a splash of color.
The Hong lab at Stanford University solved the dye-lemma and made skin see-through. The same food dye in Doritos – tartrazine – lets us see through body tissues.
They tested which types of light can pass through chicken breast soaked in tartrazine. It increased the transparency of the chicken breast by 20%. Don’t worry, everything was reversible!
This research opens the doors to new techniques for biological imaging. This helps scientists answer new questions, but also one day could help doctors make real-time diagnoses.
Talk about a clear breakthrough!
Reference: Zihao Ou et al.,Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules.Science 385, eadm6869 (2024).DOI:10.1126/science.adm6869