Neurospora crassa is a type of red bread mold of the phylum
Ascomycota. The genus name, meaning "nerve spore" refers to the characteristic striations on the
spores that resemble
axons.
In the 24 April 2003 issue of Nature, the genome of N. crassa was reported as completely sequenced. The genome is about 43 megabases long and includes approximately 10,000 genes. There is a project underway to produce strains containing knockout mutants of every N. crassa gene.
In its natural environment, N. crassa lives mainly in tropical and sub-tropical regions. It can be found growing on dead plant matter after fires.
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