× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Plant scientist Douglas Shaw spent his career toiling in the fields in California to grow the perfect strawberry, one that was plump and bright red yet remained sweet even after the long trip to grocery stores across the country.

When the professor retired from the University of California at Davis and set up his own strawberry-breeding business, though, he found himself in a legal jam.

In a case set for trial in federal court later this month, the university is suing Shaw and his scientific partner, saying they stole the school's intellectual property by taking some of the fruits of their research with them.

The two scientists claim in a $45 million lawsuit of their own that the university has unfairly kept some of their work locked in a freezer and is depriving the world of a better strawberry.

Some farmers in the No. 1 strawberry-growing state are worried the battle is going to stymie research and cause them to lose their competitive edge. California last year produced 1.6 million tons of strawberries valued at roughly $2 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.