Heat shock proteins – don’t let the odd name fool you. The phrase sounds as if we’re talking about proteins that are suffering from too much heat exposure, and that can’t be good. And, in a way, that’s actually not too far off. Heat shock proteins, or HSPs, are a special class of proteins that adapt to the stresses of living, including but by no means limited to exposure to heat, by becoming extra-resilient. In fact, they become so resilient, they’re able to help ordinary proteins repair themselves when they’re subjected to those same pressures. Pretty cool, eh?