Mode 1: An otherwise-invisible tatoo pigment that glows under UV light. This would give unusual tatoo effects when the user is in a suitable environment, e.g. at a party or disco with blacklight-illuminated areas. It would also allow one to have wild facial tatoos that would only show up under UV illumination. May require an environment with otherwise-low visible illumination. May be good for performers who wish to be undistinguished at their day jobs.

Mode 2: A transgenic DNA-based tatoo application that causes skin cells to express variants of the "green fluorescent protein", which would fluoresce under UV illumination (see glowfish for an example). With correct application techniques, transgene expression may be reliably induced in skin cells, producing the desired tatoo pattern.
-- DanYHKim, Jul 07 2005

Human_20Bioluminescence [waugsqueke, Jul 07 2005]

(?) Chameleon UV-Reactive Tattoo inks http://www.blacklig...supplies-supply.htm
In 18 different colors! [Freefall, Jul 07 2005]

C'nya say ouch. http://www.bmezine....ple/A10101/htc.html
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 09 2005]

My recent Black light tattoo http://tmi.blogs.com/blog/tattoo/
Information, including an explanation as to why this ink is safe, as well as some pictures. [Frankula, Aug 09 2005]

kinda nifty http://planetoddity...a-violet-tattooing/
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 21 2010]

1. This would require the existence of an otherwise invisible fluorescent pigment. I don't believe such a thing exists.

2. Is redundant with "Human Bioluminescence", found elsewhere on the bakery.
-- waugsqueke, Jul 07 2005


See link. Supposedly, their "white" is nearly invisible on light skin. I've also seen completely clear UV-reactive dyes, but they're not approved due to irritant or carcinogenic properties.

Whatever happened to the good 'ol days when people at least typed their idea title into google to see if it existed? Oh, that's right, those days never existed. Pity.

As for method 2, it ain't gonna happen. Either you'd have a fully GM'd person who would glow all over, or the body would react to the foreign proteins.
-- Freefall, Jul 07 2005


The Chameleon link says "some light scaring may occur".
-- baconbrain, Jul 08 2005


"Some light scarring may occur" means that the process of poking thousands of tiny holes in your skin just might cause scarring, which would be otherwise camouflaged by the actual colored artwork of a tattoo done in pigmented ink. A tattoo done with nothing but saline in the gun would do the same thing.
-- Freefall, Jul 08 2005


Now I'm very scared.
-- baconbrain, Jul 08 2005


// May be good for performers who wish to be undistinguished at their day jobs.// Yep, I know some of those.
sp: tattoo, btw.
[+]
-- Basepair, Jul 09 2005


[admin: changed spelling in title. 'tatoo' -> 'tattoo']

I could see this working only if you punctured the skin in a grid (or random) pattern, some of which contained UV fluorescent die, some of which didn't. Otherwise I think you'd see the outline of the tattoo as scar tissue.
-- st3f, Jul 09 2005


You can transfect cells with a 'gene gun' (basically a compressed-gas pistol which fires DNA-coated gold particles into a layer of cells). Whether this would work on skin (with a thick, tough dead outer layer), whether it would cause scarring, and whether the GFP construct would become integrated to give stable expression, I don't know.
But one thing's for sure - you don't want a //fluorescent die// under your skin - it'd be all bumpy.
-- Basepair, Jul 09 2005


Er... dye. Brings a whole other meaning to the phrase 'getting rolled' (as if that didn't have enough possible interpretations already).
-- st3f, Jul 09 2005


// you don't want a //fluorescent die// under your skin - it'd be all bumpy.//

Some folks might not mind so much. [link]
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 09 2005


I have recently had a piece done with the white Chameleon ink, and after three weeks of healing, it continues to match my skin colour more and more, letting me think that it might eventually be invisible in day light. More details here: tmi.blogs.com/blog/tattoo/
-- Frankula, Aug 09 2005


Hey, this is baked now! [link]
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 21 2010



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