![force-sensing-piezo-proteins-are-at-work-in-plants-too](https://utterbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/force-sensing-piezo-proteins-are-at-work-in-plants-too-1-640x424.jpg)
A family of proteins that sense mechanical force–and enable our sense of touch and many other important bodily functions–also are essential for proper root growth in some plants, according to a study led by scientists at Scripps Research and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.