New discovery in the world of science! They only used food coloring.

An experiment conducted by American scientists has provided hope for biomedical applications. It was observed that the application of a commonly used food dye on mouse skin temporarily made the skin transparent. This process could have wide-ranging applications in the medical and health fields, such as making veins more visible for blood collection. It was stated that the process does not harm animals and can be reversed by washing off the solution.

PLANNED FOR HUMAN APPLICATION

This discovery could revolutionize biomedical research and, if successfully tested in humans, could have extensive applications in medicine and health, such as making veins more visible for blood collection.

The researchers made the skin on the skulls and abdomens of live mice transparent by applying a mixture of a yellow food dye called tartrazine and water. Washing off the remaining solution reversed the process without harming the animals. The fur of the mice was removed before applying the solution.

"LIKE A MAGIC TRICK"

Zihao Ou, the first author of the study and an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Texas in Dallas, said, "It makes sense to those who understand the underlying physics, but if you're not familiar with the subject, it looks like a magic trick."

"Magic" utilizes insights from the field of optics. The dye molecules that absorb light suppress the tissue's ability to scatter light, thereby enhancing the transmission of light through the skin. When the dye is mixed with water, it changes the refractive index (a measure of how a substance bends light) of the watery part of the tissue to better match the refractive index of proteins and fats in the tissue.

THE PROCESS TAKES ONLY A FEW MINUTES

Ou, who conducted the study as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University in California, said, "We combined a yellow dye that absorbs most blue and ultraviolet light with a scattering medium, which is the skin. Each of these things individually blocks most of the light from passing through," he said. "But when we put them together, we achieved transparency in the mouse skin. When the dye fully penetrates the skin, the skin becomes transparent. It takes a few minutes for transparency to emerge," he said. "It's similar to how a face cream or mask works: The required time depends on how fast the molecules spread through the skin."

COULD BE USED IN MEDICINE AND HEALTH APPLICATIONS

The team conducted experiments on chicken breasts before working on live animals. It was stated that the discovery is revolutionary in biomedical research and, if successful in tests on human skin, it could be used in a wide range of medical and health applications, including making veins more visible during blood collection.

The researchers were able to directly observe the blood vessels on the surface of the brain through the transparent skin of the mice. The internal organs of the mice in the abdomen and the muscle contractions that pass food through the digestive tract were also visible.

Guosong Hong, an Assistant Professor of Materials Science at Stanford University and the senior author, said, "Looking into the future, this technology could make veins more visible, especially for elderly patients with hard-to-find veins, making procedures such as blood collection or liquid administration through needles easier."

Additionally, this innovation could assist in the early diagnosis of skin cancer, improve light penetration in deep tissue treatments such as photodynamic and photothermal therapies, and make laser-based tattoo removal easier.