Canada is a cold place, but that doesn't stop us from growing plants in our homes and gardens. And every year, many of those plants pop back up in the spring or shake off the snow and ice to thrive again.

Dr. Karen Tanino (PhD), a professor in USask’s Department of Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, is an expert on plant physiology and how they deal with stresses like cold temperatures.

By using the synchrotron at the Canadian Light Source at USask, Tanino is able to look deep inside plant cells to determine what changes different kinds of plants go through to adapt and survive in winter conditions.

From garden vegetables to towering trees, different plant life uses different mechanisms to resist the cold and thrive again in the springtime.

On this episode of the USask Signature Series podcast, we answer the question: “How do your plants learn to survive the cold?”

Listen to the episode to learn more!

• Host: Matt Olson
• Producers: Matt Olson and Leslie-Ann Schlosser
• Editor: Matt Olson
• Graphics and Marketing: USask Research Profile and Impact office
• Original Music created by Silas Friesen

Questions? Email [email protected]
Check out USask research on Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn and on the University of Saskatchewan's web pages!