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8mo ago

Scientists Achieve Transparency in Mouse Skin Using Common Food Dye

Researchers employ tartrazine to make living tissues see-through, opening new avenues for biomedical research.

Artist's impression of the yellow dye rendering human skin transparent. This is just an illustration and the technique has not yet been trialed on human skin.
Zihao Ou eyes a vial of dye solution. Ou, an assistant professor of physics at the University of Texas at Dallas, is the first author of a new study that uses food dye to make mouse skin temporarily transparent.
Image
A container of Yellow #5 dye.

Overview

  • A mix of water and tartrazine, a yellow food dye, was used to render mouse skin transparent.
  • The technique allowed observation of blood vessels, organs, and muscle fibers in live mice.
  • Potential applications include improved blood drawing, cancer detection, and tattoo removal.
  • Human skin's greater thickness presents challenges for applying this method to people.
  • The study's findings could revolutionize optical research and biomedical imaging.