In a new study, the abdomens of live mice were coated with a mixture of water and a common yellow food coloring, and the effect was see- through skin that allowed researchers to view the animals’ internal organs. The study published in the journal Science in September employs basic physics.

Living skin scatters light in the same way that fog does which is why it cannot be seen through. But the yellow dye mixture neutralized this effect by bending light the same way as skin and body fat—making a clear line of sight to the internal organs. “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,” said Dr. Zihao Ou, who led the study while he was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University.

Ou said the next step in his research will be investigating what dosage of dye and delivery method works best for human skin, which is about 10 times thicker than mouse skin. “Many medical diagnosis platforms are very expensive and inaccessible to a broad audience, but platforms based on our tech should not be,” said Ou.

The yellow dye in this study, FD&C Yellow 5 is used to make foods and beverages appear more fresh, flavorful, and appetizing. Common grocery store items that contain FD&C Yellow 5 include:  Twinkies, Mountain Dew, Sunny D, Kool-Aid Jammers, M & M’s, Starburst,  Cap,N Crunch and Froot Loops.

Consuming these items will not make your skin transparent. In the study, FD&C Yellow 5 was applied topically to skin, not ingested.

The National Science Foundation developed a hands-on lab activity with raw chicken to illustrate the results of this study—but adult supervision is required! For more information go to: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/USNSF-YellowNumber5_Activity.pdf