Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
Tech

Scientists turn mouse transparent

Darpan News Desk IANS, 01 Aug, 2014 09:38 AM
    In a major breakthrough, scientists have transformed a mouse into a "see-through" creature that can give them a clearer view of the body tissues for research.
     
    With the technique called CLARITY, the body of the mouse has been rendered transparent.
     
    The method involves a water-based gel and detergents and can reveal all of an animal's organs - from its brain to its kidneys - while keeping them intact.
     
    "This is the first study to perform whole-body clearing as opposed to first extracting and then clearing organs outside the adult body," said Viviana Gradinaru, a neuroscientist at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
     
    The earlier method for rendering individual organs transparent had been used only in the case of brains and embryos.
     
    Gradinaru and her team adapted the technique to use on whole mouse bodies.
     
    The gel allowed them to remove the fatty molecules quickly.
     
    In order to prevent tissue damage, they injected the gel and detergents directly into the rodent's bloodstream and within two to three days, organs like kidneys, heart, lungs and intestine turned transparent.
     
    Within two weeks, the entire brain had turned clear as well, Live Science reported.
     
    "We have also developed a solution for storing and imaging thick chunks of transparent tissue. Once tissue is stored in this way, scientists will be able to see the connections between cells, as well as the structures and molecules inside cells," researchers asserted.
     
    The study was published in the journal Cell.

    MORE Tech ARTICLES

    Plant's biomass depends more on size, age than on climate

    Plant's biomass depends more on size, age than on climate
    Plant's productivity, that is the amount of biomass it produces, depends more on its size and age than temperature and precipitation as traditionally thought, says a study....

    Plant's biomass depends more on size, age than on climate

    App to expose cheating partners

    App to expose cheating partners
    Have a doubt that your husband is having an extramarital affair? Get this app and track every detail of his digital life....

    App to expose cheating partners

    No signal! Turn your smartphone into 'walkie talkie'

    No signal! Turn your smartphone into 'walkie talkie'
    For hikers, outdoor enthusiasts and families that love to travel, this device is a must as this turns your smartphone into a "walkie talkie" even if you have no phone coverage....

    No signal! Turn your smartphone into 'walkie talkie'

    Diamond blasted with laser to decode giant planets' core

    Diamond blasted with laser to decode giant planets' core
    To unlock the mystery behind how the cores of 'super-Earths' or giant planets like Jupiter respond to intense atmospheric pressure, US researchers...

    Diamond blasted with laser to decode giant planets' core

    Relish 3D-printed ice creams soon

    Relish 3D-printed ice creams soon
    Bored of the same old ice cream bars and cones? A new machine that can produce amazing 3D-shaped ice creams for your kids in flat 15 minutes is here now...

    Relish 3D-printed ice creams soon

    X-ray to fix broken earphone

    X-ray to fix broken earphone
    This may sound bizarre but a US doctor has used X-ray machine to fix his broken headphone after "diagnosing" a tiny break in the cords....

    X-ray to fix broken earphone