Science Magazine Podcast Why peanut allergy is so common and hot forests as test beds for climate change
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Jun 12, 2025 
In this discussion, Erik Stokstad, a Science Magazine staff writer, reveals insights into how tropical plants are adapting to extreme heat due to climate change, underscoring their survival strategies. Sarita Patil, co-director of the Food Allergy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, explores the alarming rise of peanut allergies, unveiling how similar antibodies might contribute to this trend. Their fascinating narratives weave together the resilience of nature and the complexities of our immune responses, illuminating pressing issues in both botany and health.
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Heat Shock Proteins Protect Plants
- Plants use heat shock proteins as a molecular chaperone to protect key proteins during heat stress.
- They also release antioxidants like isoprene to reduce cellular damage from heat-induced harmful molecules.
Leaf Cooling and Adaptations
- Plants cool leaves by opening stomata to evaporate water, similar to sweating.
- Leaf traits like color and stomata density adjust to help manage heat exposure over time.
Heat Damage Leads to Leaf Death
- Extreme heat irreversibly damages plants' photosynthetic machinery, causing leaves to die and turn brown.
- Leaf death is a stress response but does not equate to death of the whole plant.