Abstract
Some cell biological studies of Neurospora crassa have been limited by the rapid rates of hyphal growth and fusion. In this study, we investigated the causative mutation in the standard C24 allele of for (FGSC #9) and assayed the growth and circadian phenotype of the for strain under different nutritional conditions. We show that the for strain can be maintained as metabolically active single cells for 2 days before its growth advances into branched mycelia. This culturing system offers the potential to advance subcellular dynamic research and to facilitate greater understanding of N. crassa in the early developmental stages.