Thermotolerance is a biological process by which cells, tissues, or organisms acquire the capacity to survive and maintain function under elevated temperatures that would otherwise be lethal or damaging. It involves coordinated molecular responses including induction of heat shock proteins and molecular chaperones, stabilization of protein structure, remodeling of membranes, modulation of reactive oxygen species detoxification systems, and activation of protective signaling pathways such as heat shock factor (HSF)-mediated transcription. Thermotolerance can be constitutive or inducible, often developing after a mild heat pretreatment, and contributes to cellular homeostasis, proteostasis, and integrity of critical processes such as DNA replication, transcription, translation, and photosynthesis under thermal stress.
Like humans, wildlife is increasingly vulnerable as climate change fuels longer and more intense heat waves, disrupting feeding and breeding and, in extreme cases, proving fatal.
Environment
Jun 19, 2026
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University of Mississippi researchers are studying how plants respond to heat at the molecular level, an important consideration for farmers, businesses and policymakers as global temperatures rise.
Molecular & Computational biology
Jun 15, 2026
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Bee species that nest in plant stems appear to be at the greatest short-term risk from increasing temperatures due to climate change, while those that nest in the ground are better able to evade extreme heat, according to ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 15, 2026
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A new study challenges a long-standing assumption about how cyanobacteria survive environmental stress. The study, led by researchers at the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR)—the Kinneret Limnological ...
Ecology
Jun 13, 2026
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As temperatures rise, New Zealand's dairy farmers face a growing challenge: keeping cows cool enough to remain productive. Heat stress can reduce milk production, harm animals and lower the environmental efficiency of dairy ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jun 12, 2026
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Rapidly intensifying global climate instability is causing increasingly erratic temperature fluctuations. When sudden cold snaps strike during a crop's critical flowering window, they trigger irreversible pollen abortion, ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jun 10, 2026
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On a hot afternoon in California wine country, the sun can do more than warm a vineyard. It can scorch it. When temperatures climb above 100°F, grape clusters can heat to nearly 140° in direct sunlight. The berries shrivel. ...
Ecology
Jun 4, 2026
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Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are tiny eight-legged animals that can survive in extreme environments, where humans and most other animals would die. This resistance to extreme conditions, including ...
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a platform that engineers heat-loving microbes for industrial-scale manufacturing in a matter of weeks compared with previous approaches ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 28, 2026
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Over the past few decades, heat waves have become more common in several parts of the world as our planet warms. That's a huge problem for many animals, as it can lead to habitat loss and push their bodies to lethal thresholds. ...
