Plants protect their DNA in space by increasing telomerase activity, but not lengthening telomeres.
This is different from the effects of spaceflight on humans, where telomeres lengthen.
The researchers are unsure why this is the case, but they plan to do more research on the role of telomerase in plants.
The study found that spaceflight has a number of other effects on plants, including changes in gene expression, protein synthesis, and cell division.
These changes could have implications for plant growth and development in space.
The researchers say that their findings could help to develop new methods for protecting plants from the effects of spaceflight.
This could be important for future missions to Mars and other planets.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and NASA Ames Research Center.
It was published in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences".
The research was funded by a grant from NASA.