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.
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
0
27
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
0
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
0
64
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
0
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
0
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
0
47
How do you cool yourself on a hot day? Perhaps you find shade, switch on a fan or retreat to air conditioning? But spare a thought for tropical forest trees. As the climate warms, they must either adjust to the heat, adapt ...
Ecology
Sep 6, 2025
0
61
As global temperatures rise, scientists are turning to an unexpected source—the same yeast that makes bread rise and beer fizz—to uncover what allows some lifeforms to survive extreme heat while others cannot.
Evolution
Aug 22, 2025
0
44
New research shows how cattle are coping with searing summertime heat while grazing on rangeland, which could help prairie ranchers better understand how to manage their herds in a warming climate.
Ecology
Aug 11, 2025
0
22
While humans can escape the heat by seeking shade or shedding layers, plants remain rooted in place. So how do they survive extreme heat? It's a question many have wondered—and now, science has an answer.
Plants & Animals
Jul 14, 2025
0
21
