J Huang

In 2023, in Belgium, 101 people aged 50 to 69 spent several days in a lab where their brains were scanned, their sleep was recorded, and they were asked to solve memory and attention tasks. That is how the COFITAGE dataset was born, describing each participant from five angles: molecular, structural, physiological, genetic and cognitive.

The alfalfa root is studded with pink bumps the size of peas. Inside each one, bacteria turn nitrogen from the air into fertilizer, and the plant pays them back in sugar. To keep the deal from falling apart, the partners exchange protein messages, but until recently this conversation was almost inaudible to us.