Study of plants in winter ‘could offer clue to effects of jet lag’

A NEW study into how plants adjust to having less sunlight in winter could lead to a better understanding of the impact of shift work and jet lag on people, according to scientists.

Researchers looking at the daily rhythms in plants have discovered a complex process that allows the plants’ genes to respond to the times of dawn and dusk each day, and the length of daylight in between.

This system enables the plant to reset its internal clock every day in response to seasonal changes in daylight, helping it to control the timing of crucial activities, such as flowering and making frost-resistant buds.