Simon Silver | Jun 9, 1991 | 2 min read
Microbial ice nucleation is important biotechnology for three reasons. First, preventing ice crystal formation using deletion mutants is a way to prevent frost damage; that is, "frost-ban" Pseudomads are a marketable product. Second, stimulating snow formation on artificial ski slopes extends the season; that is, ice-nucleating Pseudomonads are another marketable product. Third, the field testing of the "frost-ban" cells on strawberry plants occasioned some of the most emotional responses to rel