PREVIEW

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking way to make skin invisible. The innovative method involves applying a food-safe dye to tissues, allowing for a clearer view of internal organs. The process is reversible and has been tested on animal subjects, showing potential applications in a variety of medical fields from detecting injuries to identifying cancers. The method works by matching the refractive index of biological tissues, allowing light to pass through without scattering. The researchers tested the process on animal tissues by applying tartrazine to the skin of mice, successfully rendering tissues transparent and revealing underlying structures like blood vessels and intestines. Importantly, the transparency effect was temporary and reversible, with no long-term side effects observed. Stanford University researchers published the research ″Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules″ in the September 6, 2024, issue of Science. While the technique shows great promise, it has not yet been tested on humans. Researchers caution that dyes should not be consumed or misused without proper safety protocols.