Plants Don't Just Feel The Heat – They Decode It Through A Molecular Network

In a new framework that could reshape how we engineer crops for a warming world, scientists have revealed that plants don't rely on a single "thermometer" to sense temperature.

Instead, they interpret heat through a dispersed network of temperature-sensitive molecules, an insight that could revolutionise climate-resilient agriculture.

The new model temperature perception and response is outlined in a review published in Science and is led by researchers at the Monash University School of Biological Sciences in collaboration with Cornell University, USA and India’s National Institute of Plant Genome Research.

The review challenges the long-standing idea of dedicated “thermosensors” in plants. Instead, it proposes a new model: dispersed temperature perception, where thermal cues are integrated using intrinsic temperature-sensitivity of reactions and molecules that are present across multiple biological pathways.

“We’re moving away from the idea of a single sensor and toward a systems-level understanding,” said Professor Sureshkumar Balasubramanian, the lead author of the study, from the Monash University School of Biological Sciences.

“Temperature affects the rate of reactions and the structure and behaviour of proteins, RNA, and chromatin. These changes ripple through the plant’s signalling networks, influencing everything from flowering time to stress tolerance.”

This paradigm shift has major implications.

As global temperatures rise, even a 1°C increase can significantly reduce crop yields.

“Understanding how plants naturally integrate temperature into their growth and defence systems opens the door to precision breeding and AI-assisted synthetic biology approaches that could enhance crop resilience,” Professor Balasubramanian said.

The research highlights how temperature-sensitive proteins like phytochromes, cryptochromes, and transcription factors undergo structural changes or phase separation in response to heat.

These changes influence gene expression, hormone signalling, and circadian rhythms. Even RNA molecules play a role, with temperature-dependent folding patterns that regulate translation.

“What’s remarkable is that intrinsic temperature-sensitivity of reactions and biomolecules ensure robust system wide responses, which are embedded in the very fabric of plant biology,” said Professor Balasubramanian. “It’s not about adding a sensor, it’s about tuning the system.”

The researchers’ findings suggest that by targeting specific proteins in distinct signalling pathways, scientists could develop “designer crops” tailored to specific climates or needs or conditions and crops.

This approach could be especially powerful when combined with AI and/or synthetic biology to introduce or enhance temperature sensitivity in key pathways.

With food security under increasing threat from climate change, this framework offers a potential path forward rooted in the complexity of plant biology.