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DONALD DANFORTH RESEARCHERS EXPLORE PLANT MEMORY IN HEAT STRESS RESPONSE
Nov. 11, 2025
Source: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center news release
ST. LOUIS, MO - A new collaborative research team of plant scientists led by Ru Zhang, PhD, associate member, Danforth Plant Science Center has been awarded new funding from the National Science Foundation to investigate how photosynthetic cells retain "heat stress memory" (HSM), a key adaptive mechanism that could help future crops withstand intense and frequent heat waves.
Photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy, is the key driver of plant growth and food production, but it is especially vulnerable to heat. High temperatures in field conditions can decrease photosynthetic efficiency, impair plant growth and reduce crop yields. Yet scientists still know little about how plants, especially photosynthetic processes, respond to and adapt to repeated heat at the cellular and genetic level.
"Plants often face the same stresses repeatedly, yet they have remarkable strategies for maintaining stress memory and recovering growth," said Zhang. "By learning how photosynthetic cells 'respond to and 'remember' heat at a molecular and genetic level, we can lay the foundation for future approaches to strengthen crop performance under high temperatures."
The new research project will use a powerful combination of interdisciplinary tools, including genome-scale and high-throughput approaches, to decode how HSM is regulated in photosynthetic cells. Unlike many previous studies that relied on short-lived stress events or plants grown in artificial conditions (e.g., Petri dishes), Zhang's team will examine multi-generational HSM using highly controlled algal cultures alongside soil-grown model plants under physiologically relevant conditions that more closely resemble nature.
The research will engage a broad range of scientists who study stress responses in plant cells to drive innovative agricultural solutions and improve crops' resilience to heat stress. Beyond scientific discovery, the project will support education and outreach activities designed to equip mentees at various levels and implement computational tools as community resources, thereby broadening the impact of the research.
Co-PIs include, Xuehua Zhong, PhD, professor of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, and Jianlin Cheng, PhD, professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri Columbia.
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