Mice in Germany

Scientists in Germany have recently discovered a process that makes mice transparent. They release a tracking agent in the live, sedated, mouse that can be viewed using florescent lights, or something similar. They then clear the now deceased mouse’s body of water and fat. All that remains are the organs in a now transparent skin. Here is where you ask, and? Transparent mice, that’s cool, but what does it mean to me? It’s not just that the mice can be made transparent, but that they have plans to take this technology and apply it to the human brain.

Currently it is almost impossible for researchers to map the human brain. In order to see it, they must dissect it, separating the delicate neurons and their connections. Even the smallest change to the brain can destroy the connections between neurons, that we may not even know exist. With the transparent mouse technology, we will be able to track and monitor these connections within the human brain while it remains in the skull. This is something that has never been done before. The possibilities of what could be discovered are endless. #excitingscience