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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Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: ​​Guosong Hong
• Guosong's Lab: THE HONG LAB

Connect With Us:

• Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
• Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
• Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

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

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

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