MED-Amin network

A drought emergency has been declared in some parts of Catalonia where people are being urged to reduce their water consumption.

Rising global temperatures are posing a threat not only to people and wildlife but plants as well. The question of why many plants succumb as the heat increases is now better understood, thanks to a team of scientists who have identified the mechanism in plant cells that regulates their immunity.
It has long been known that increased temperatures compromises plants’ ability to make a defense hormone called salicylic acid, which boosts their immune system against invaders. However, how this defense mechanism works at the molecular level wasn’t well understood.