Scientists at Stanford University have made a surprising discovery: a common food dye found in Doritos, called tartrazine (FD&C Yellow 5), can temporarily make a mouse’s skin see-through.
This finding could open up new possibilities in medical research, making it easier to look inside the body without surgery.
In the study, researchers applied the dye to different parts of a sedated mouse, including the abdomen and legs.
To their surprise, the skin turned red and then became transparent, allowing them to see the mouse's internal organs without any cuts or surgery.
Once the dye was washed off, the skin returned to normal.
The dye works by absorbing certain types of light, which makes the skin clearer instead of more opaque, as we might expect with dyes.
This effect could potentially be used on humans in the future to help doctors find tumours or other issues without invasive procedures.
It might even make tasks like drawing blood easier by making veins more visible.
However, this discovery is still in its early stages and has only been tested on mice.
Dr Guosong Hong, one of the researchers, cautioned that people shouldn’t try this at home, as human skin is thicker and the safety of the dye for human use hasn’t been fully tested yet.
Scientists are now exploring ways to safely use this technique on humans, which could lead to groundbreaking medical advancements in the future.