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Materials scientist and physicist Guosong Hong is an expert in getting materials to do remarkable things. Recently, he and collaborators used a common food dye found in snack chips to turn living tissue transparent, allowing light to penetrate through skin and muscle. Hong is now working to realize a new age of medical imaging that lets doctors see deep into the body – without surgery. It’s a miracle of physics but it could change medicine, Hong tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
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Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces Guosong Hong, an expert in physics, material science, and biology from Stanford University.
(00:02:52) Material Science Meets Neuroscience
How Guosong’s research blends nanomaterials and brain science.
(00:04:01) Why Tissue Isn’t Transparent
The challenge of light penetration in biological tissues.
(00:05:55) A New Approach to Tissue Clearing
The physics behind tissue transparency and refractive index manipulation.
(00:08:57) UV Light and Transparency
How manipulating UV absorption can align refractive indexes.
(00:11:17) First Experiments and Results
Initial tests that demonstrate successful tissue clearing.
(00:13:19) Applications in Medicine
The potential of transparent tissues in dermatology and medical imaging.
(00:15:36) Testing on Live Tissue
The results of testing transparency techniques on live mice.
(00:19:30) Transparency in Nature
How some species have naturally transparent tissue.
(00:20:52) Human Eye and Protein Transparency
The unique proteins that keep our lenses clear using similar physics.
(00:23:24) Wireless Light Inside the Body
The development of ultrasound-activated light sources for tissue imaging.
(00:26:56) Precision of Ultrasound Light
How precisely ultrasound can trigger tiny particles to emit light.
(00:29:14) Conclusion
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