Seeing what’s going on inside a body is never easy. While technologies like CT scans, X-rays, MRIs, and microscopy can provide insights, the images are rarely completely clear and can come with side effects like radiation exposure.
But what if you could apply a substance on the skin, much like a moisturizing cream, and make it transparent, without harming the tissue?
That’s what Stanford scientists have done using an FDA-approved dye that is commonly found in food, among several other light-absorbing molecules that exhibit similar effects. Published in Science on Sept. 5, the research details how rubbing a dye solution on the skin of a mouse in a lab allowed researchers to see, with the naked eye, through the skin to the internal organs, without making an incision. And, just as easily as the transparency happened, it could be reversed.
“As soon as we rinsed and massaged the skin with water, the effect was reversed within minutes,” said Guosong Hong, assistant professor of materials science and engineering and senior author on the paper. “It’s a stunning result.”
Read about really creative and innovative research from my colleagues @HongNeuroTech and @BrongersmaMark : a common food dye can make your skin transparent!https://t.co/aizYD8Xnv0
— Alberto Salleo (@asalleo) September 5, 2024
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