Drought shifts more plant root cells into newly discovered environmental response mode
Researchers at the University of Western Australia have identified a previously unknown 'environmental response mode' in plant root cells. This mechanism allows plants to activate specific gene sets to better survive drought conditions.
Why it matters
Understanding how plants adapt to water scarcity at a cellular level is critical for developing drought-resistant crops to ensure food security in a changing climate.
by Annelies Gartner, University of Western Australia
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add to Preferred Sources Mean signal intensity for genes AT3G01720 (blue) and AT5G56550 (pink) in Arabidopsis root. Credit: Adapted from Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11179-y Scientists have discovered a hidden layer of identity in plant root cells: an "environmental mode" that switches on in some cells and becomes more common when water is scarce. The study, led by Dr. Marina Oliva and professor Ryan Lister, from the ARC Center of Excellence in Plants for Space and The University of Western Australia's School of Molecular Sciences, examined how plant cells responded to drought conditions. The work is published in Nature
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in