Anthony N. Consiglio

In a freezer, ordinary water turns to ice, but in living cells, such ice is a disaster: sharp crystals tear membranes apart like needles popping a balloon. Scientists who preserve cells for medicine have learned to avoid this calamity, but each method speaks its own language. A new study offers a common vocabulary — thermodynamics.

In winter, puddles freeze, and ice cracks the asphalt. Inside a living cell, freezing does something similar: ice crystals tear its membrane. To prevent this, the cell is soaked in a special solution, like antifreeze for a car. But precision is key: too little solution and ice still forms; too much and the solution itself poisons the cell.