Scientists just made mice 'see-through' using food dye — and humans are next

Medical illustration showing a close-up of a person's arm and hand with the palm facing towards the viewer, against a beige-colored background. Some of the hand is shown in yellow and blood vessels are visible. .

A common food dye can turn the skin of living mice transparent, enabling researchers to peer inside the body without surgery.

This is the first time scientists have used the technique to visualize the tissues of living mice under the microscope. They used a food-safe dye, which can likely be found in snacks in your pantry, and several fundamental physics principles to render the mice see-through.