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.
During Australia's unprecedented heat wave in late January, air temperatures reached 50°C in inland South Australia.
Ecology
Feb 18, 2026
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Corals living in coastal bays with strongly fluctuating temperatures and environmental conditions are better able to withstand heat and other stressors than their counterparts on more stable reefs. This is shown by research ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 18, 2026
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27
Extreme heat can have a devastating effect on seagrass, but new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) could shape how these vitally important marine ecosystems are managed and restored. In separate studies carried out ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 17, 2026
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15
Heat-resilient biofertilizers could help crops cope with rising temperatures but engineering them has been slow and uncertain. A new study at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) shows that pairing ...
Biotechnology
Jan 12, 2026
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19
Hyperthermophilic archaea are true survival experts. They thrive in boiling hot springs and deep-sea vents—environments lethal to nearly all other forms of life.
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 25, 2025
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28
Kelp species such as Saccharina japonica and Undaria pinnatifida serve as critical global economic resources. However, global warming, marked by rising seawater temperatures, is severely impacting kelp cultivation. This reality ...
Biotechnology
Nov 19, 2025
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34
In California's Death Valley, where summer temperatures regularly soar above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, life seems almost impossible. Yet among the cracked earth and blinding sunlight, one native plant not only survives—it thrives.
Molecular & Computational biology
Nov 7, 2025
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65
A new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that common fungal species may be adapting to higher temperatures in warmer sites within cities compared to cooler sites in the same ...
Evolution
Nov 5, 2025
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66
Climate change not only causes temperatures on land and in the sea to rise, but also leads to warming rivers, lakes, and streams—with serious consequences for the animals living within them. A research team at the University ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 8, 2025
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20
Though it may seem counterintuitive, desert-dwelling plants and animals who are well-adapted to hot, dry conditions are still threatened by rising temperatures, drought, and other extremes caused by climate change. For some ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 8, 2025
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