Researcher Trick: Food Coloring Makes Skin Transparent

Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that the common food dye tartrazine can make skin and muscle temporarily transparent, allowing for visualization of internal organs and blood vessels. The dye works by matching the refractive index of tissues, which is normally disrupted by fatty membranes and cell nuclei.

The researchers caution against applying the dye to humans until its safety for external use is clarified, but see potential medical applications such as making veins visible or early detection of cancer. The procedure is reversible and may enable less invasive medical diagnostics and animal studies.

The transparency achieved by the dye has sparked interest among scientists and has the potential for broad applications in research and non-invasive medicine.