The State - News from Jan. 6, 1987

An Oakland-based biotechnology company applied for county, state and federal permission to test a genetically-altered bacteria this spring at a small strawberry plot in San Benito County near Hollister. Trevor Suslow, director of product research for Advanced Genetic Sciences, said his company wants to spray the strawberries with Frostban, a laboratory-developed bacteria that hinders formation of ice crystals. Researchers hope the bacteria could be used to protect crops from freezing temperatures. Suslow said the three-month experiment could begin in March or April, when the strawberries bloom. Plans for a similar test near Castroville last year had to be scrapped because of opposition by Monterey County Supervisors.