Illustration of change to glassy state. (IMAGE) University of Tokyo Caption This illustration shows the vitrification – the transformation into a glasslike state – of E.coli over time as their numbers become more dense and compacted. Credit 2024 Tomo Narashima (LAIMAN) Usage Restrictions News organizations may use or redistribute this image, with proper attribution to the illustrator, Tomo Narashima (LAIMAN), as part of news coverage of this paper only. License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.