Plants can’t move to escape the heat like humans can—they are forced to adapt. As temperatures fluctuate, one key survival strategy is the ability of roots to keep growing, allowing plants to access water and nutrients farther away in the soil. Lucia Strader, PhD, asked how plants sense temperature and translate it into growth. She found her answer in a familiar plant hormone: auxin.

Auxin is at the center of plant growth, governing everything from cell elongation to root and stem development. But it’s not the center of this story—instead, the latest research found auxin’s partner proteins serve as internal plant “thermostats.” These partner proteins directly sense temperature, then change genetic programs to direct root growth accordingly. The findings could be used in future efforts to engineer plants that can withstand more extreme temperatures.

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