Doritos dye turns mice translucent, researchers find. Are humans next?
published on Sept. 6 in the journal Science, explains how researchers at Stanford University in California used a common food dye called Yellow No.
5 — found in various foods and beauty products — on the skin of live mice.The dye created a temporary “window” that made their organs, muscles and blood vessels visible, the researchers said.The technique, called “optical tissue clearing,” which has not yet been tested on humans, could potentially allow the non-invasive observation and monitoring of injuries or diseases, the authors argue.“Looking forward, this technology could make veins more visible for the drawing of blood, make laser-based tattoo removal more straightforward, or assist in the early detection and treatment of cancers,” co-author and Stanford University assistant professor of materials science and engineering Guosong Hong said.“For example, certain therapies use lasers to eliminate cancerous and precancerous cells, but are limited to areas near the skin’s surface. This technique may be able to improve that light penetration,” Hong said in a Sept.
6 press release.The artificial food dye used in the experiment, tartrazine, also known as Yellow No. 5, is approved for use in the United States and Canada.
It is commonly used to give yellow colour to a range of products, including Doritos, Mountain Dew, M&Ms, cereals like Cap’n Crunch, and beauty products such as shampoo, conditioner, soap and eyeliner, as well as some vitamins and medicines.Although tartrazine is widely used to colour foods and cosmetics, researchers sought to explore whether it could make mice’s skin translucent. So, how did they achieve this surprising effect?Scattering of light prevents us from seeing through our bodies, the authors
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