This award renews support for the Mycological Collection of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). The collection presently maintains about 48,000 fungal strains representing over 7,600 species representing 1,500 genera. The ATCC provides samples of the collection to researchers and educators at a modest charge. The collection's efforts are focused on acquiring, authenticating, preserving, and distributing fungi, and aiding in the distribution of information, technology, intellectual property and standards for the advancement, validation, and application of scientific knowledge in the US and worldwide. The broader impacts arise through the consistent provision of authenticated microorganisms, related products, and collaborative expertise to researchers and educators, as well as the provision of a patent repository with worldwide access. Collection staff seek to enhance the quality and authenticity of cultures with additional strain data generated by ATCC staff, and by the external research work of depositors, collaborators and other users of the collection. Support provided through this award corresponds about 12% of the ongoing cost of maintenance of the collection and for the enhancement of the quality of its acquisitions and the efficiency of its services.
