After SARS-CoV-2 infection, our body produces antibodies that can defend us against the virus upon infection. However, not all antibodies act similarly - some antibodies can stop virus infection, while others cannot. To quickly differentiate these antibodies, we devised a simple test that can easily determine the presence of neutralizing antibodies within hours.

Authorities have promoted conservation agriculture as a panacea for sustainable intensification of food production in Africa. Yet, claims that it increases crop yields on African farms remain controversial. Although conservation agriculture helps to control soil degradation, it is not a technology for African smallholder farmers to overcome low crop productivity and insecurity in the short term.

Currently available models underestimate global food waste. We developed a new method to estimate how much food is wasted at a country level. Comparison with estimates based on US consumer surveys shows that the approach can reasonably reproduce the results with much less data.

Histones have been known as proteins that package the DNA of eukaryotes and regulate gene expression. We discovered that histones also function as enzymes that convert copper ions into a usable form for cells. The enzymatic function changes how we think about the roles of histones in health and disease. It may have also been a critical driver for emergence of eukaryotes in the first place.

One of the biggest questions of our time is how gravity and quantum mechanics interact. We have achieved a long-sought-after step towards this goal by laser cooling a solid object.

Microglia, the immune cells of the brain, helps the brain modify its circuits in response to new experiences. In a recent study, we found that microglia helping to rewire the brain may be dependent on whether the organism is awake or asleep.