How an internal plant 'thermostat' guides root growth in unpredictable temperatures

Plants can't move to escape the heat like humans can; they are forced to adapt. As temperatures fluctuate, one key survival strategy is the ability of roots to keep growing, allowing plants to access water and nutrients farther away in the soil. But how do plants sense temperature and translate it into growth? Salk Institute scientists have uncovered a new answer in a familiar plant hormone: auxin. Their research appears in Nature Communications.