Scientists create ’see-through’ mice using food dye found in Doritos chips

Can you imagine the triangle-shaped tasty tortilla chips having a superpower? One of the ingredients found in Doritos chips can make the skin see-through. Scientists at Stanford University recently claimed that a dye that helps to give Doritos chips their orange hue can turn a mouse's skin transparent.

The research, titled “Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules," was published in the journal "Science" on September 5.

In a series of experiments that recall a science fiction,scientists atStanford University used a common food dye known as FD&C Yellow 5, on the abdomen, scalp and hindlimb of a sedated mouse. After five minutes, the skin of the mice transformed temporarily into a living window, allowing scientists to peer through tissues at the structures below, including blood vessels and internal organs to the naked eyes.

The effects were not permanent, the scientists at the university said. The skin of the mouse returned to normal once the dye was washed off, they added.

"The researchers believe this is the first non-invasive approach to achieving visibility of a mouse’s living internal organs," the university said in a release.

“It’s a major breakthrough,” the Nature quoted Philipp Keller, a biologist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia as saying.

Zihao Ou, the lead author of the study said “For those who understand the fundamental physics behind this, it makes sense; but if you aren’t familiar with it, it looks like a magic trick.”

“It’s important that the dye is biocompatible – it’s safe for living organisms,” Ou said. “In addition, it’s very inexpensive and efficient; we don’t need very much of it to work.”

How it works

Explaining the science behind the transparent skin of a mouse, journal Nature said,” The technique works by changing how body tissues that are normally opaque interact with light. The fluids, fats and proteins that make up tissues such as skin and muscle have low refractive indices, whereas lipids and proteins have high ones. Tissues appear opaque because the contrast between these refractive indices causes light to be scattered. The researchers said that by adding a dye that strongly absorbs light to such tissues could narrow the gap between the components’ refractive indices enough to make them transparent.”

Researchers plan to continue investigating that and experiment with other substances that could outperform tartrazine.