Scientists at Stanford University have shown that the yellow-orange food colorant tartrazine—which is usually associated with Doritos chips—can actually make the skin of mice appear translucent.
Publicized in the Science magazine, this discovery sheds light on how to examine organs and tissues without resorting to intrusive surgical procedures.
“We found that an aqueous solution of a common food colour approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, tartrazine, has the effect of reversibly making the skin, muscle, and connective tissues transparent in live rodents,” according to the research.
Zihao Ou oversaw the experiment that entailed drenching live mice with a tartrazine and water mixture. Scientists were able to see through connective tissues, muscles, and skin in a few of minutes. “For those who understand the fundamental physics, it makes sense, but if you aren’t familiar with it, it looks like a magic trick,” Ou added. Ou is now an assistant professor at The University of Texas at Dallas.
Tartrazine and Doritos
Tartrazine may see through skin and reveal structures beneath since it absorbs blue and UV light. Researchers achieved transparency by rubbing the solution on the skulls and abdomens of mice after testing it on tissue samples and raw chicken. Mice remove the dye through their urine, and the dye eventually fades and the transparency goes away.
“This “transparent abdomen” allows for direct visualisation of fluorescent protein–labeled enteric neurones, capturing their movements that mirror the underlying gut motility in live mice,” according to the study.
Noting, “It’s important that the dye is bio-compatible – it’s safe for living organisms,” Ou emphasised the importance of this discovery. Plus, it’s cheap and effective; we won’t even need a small amount for it to do its job.
Although tartrazine has translucence effects in mice, the researchers warn that human skin is too thick for it to work. “Human skin is about 10 times thicker than a mouse’s,” Ou noted, emphasising the need for additional research to fully comprehend its possible uses in humans.
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