Experts reveal how plants don’t get sunburn

Experts at the University of Glasgow have discovered how plants survive the harmful rays of the sun. UV-B wavelengths are the most powerful part of the daylight spectrum and are potentially damaging both to humans and plants. However, plants rarely show signs of damage because they have evolved a way of protecting themselves from the sun's harmful rays by making their own chemical sunscreen in their leaves. Last year, the group of scientists discovered that a protein called UVR8 detects the presence of UV-B and initiates the process of protection. Now a paper , reveals more details of the molecular structure of the protein UVR8 and explains how it senses UV-B light. BBC News Online: Plant protection survey in Glasgow University study UVR8 is a 'photoreceptor' - a light detecting protein. Organisms use photoreceptors to sense particular regions of the daylight spectrum.