Our scientists have deciphered the high-temperature perception mechanism of rice, helping to stabilize rice production.

The reporter learned from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Molecular Plant Science Excellence Innovation Center that Academician Lin Hongxuan's team, together with the team of researcher Lin Youshun from Shanghai Jiaotong University and the team of researcher Li Yixue from the Guangzhou National Laboratory, have recently collaborated to decode the double "password lock" that rice uses to sense and respond to high temperatures. They have revealed a sequential activation, coordinated serial hot signal perception mechanism in plants, and through genetic improvements to this mechanism, successfully bred a new rice strain with gradient heat resistance. This research will assist in molecular breeding for crop heat tolerance and provide a new solution for combating food production reduction caused by global warming. The related research findings were published in the international academic journal "Cell" on December 3, 2025.