Inside STAT: Scientists turn organs transparent and capture 3D pictures of what’s inside

AN EYEBALL CAPTURED IN 3D. (GERMAN RESEARCH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH / ERTÜRK ET. AL., CELL)

Natural pigments and fats in organs block light, but by dipping organs in chemicals that strip those barriers, scientists in Germany have figured out a way to make body organs transparent. The technique makes it easier to look at the underlying detail and architecture of the organ. After rendering the organs transparent — researchers tested the method on a human eye, thyroid, and kidney — the scientists then captured images of the see-through structures and developed an algorithm that could analyze the images for more specific cellular structures. Read more from STAT's Megan Thielking about the new advancement — and watch an accompanying video from STAT's Alex Hogan — here.