Scientists have figured out a way to hack into human cells and make them invisible! This is a new revelation in the process of understanding the underlying makeup of our genes and is an exciting new step for researchers in hacking specific traits into human cells.
Scientists managed to genetically engineer our cells to produce a squid protein known as ‘reflectin.’
So does that mean we are also one step closer to human camouflage? Unfortunately not. The results are in and this new discovery doesn’t mean we will be walking around invisible any time soon. In fact, the studies have nothing to do with that and everything to do with modifying human genes in order to find new light-scattering materials.
Or, in simple language, the ability to change genes to make them invisible is a huge step forward in understanding the combination of light, proteins and the study of cell transparency. Such has previously been an elusive concept for scientists who have compared us humans to camouflaging animals such as jellyfish and grass shrimp “which have evolved transparent structures, tissues, or even whole bodies for the purpose of concealment.”
If you really want to get into the nitty-gritty science of it, the findings have recently been published in an article that you can check out here.
