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A new study has found that tartrazine, the yellow dye in snacks like Cheetos and Doritos can make mouse skin temporarily see-through. Scientists discovered that when the dye is put on shaved mouse skin, it slows down light enough to let them see inside the mouse’s body, including its beating heart and digestive system, without needing surgery.
This works because the dye helps light pass through the skin without scattering, making the tissue look transparent. Although it’s not ready for humans yet, this method could one day help doctors and researchers study organs without using expensive tools like X-rays or MRIs.
"This is a dream in the field," said biologist Hiroki Ueda, though he added that more testing is needed. So far, no side effects have been found in the mice, and their normal skin color returned after the dye was washed off.