CELL 1 (IMAGE) Rice University Caption Over the course of 93 minutes, the process Rice University researchers call asymmetric plasmid partitioning prompted a single Escherichia coli bacterium to divide into two genetically distinct types of bacteria. Daughter microbes seen fluorescing in the right images retain the DNA-carrying plasmids (marked by the yellow dots) while their now-differentiated siblings do not. Credit The Bennett Lab/Rice University Usage Restrictions None License Licensed 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.