The Fungal Genetics Stock Center was established to preserve strains that were finding important use in genetics research. The concern was present in the Fungal Genetics Research Community that strains used in the 40's and 50's were in danger of being lost as the researchers who had generated them retired or moved on to other areas of inquiry. Fungal Genetics is the study of genes and genetic traits in fungi. In the past this has been important in the elucidation of what a gene is, what the genetic material is, how genes relate to enzymes, how enzymes relate to traits and how important traits change or evolve.
Fungi are lower eukaryotes, that is organisms with nuclei.
Organisms without nuclei are called prokaryotes and include all the Bacteria. Fungi are different from plants or animals. Fungi are divided into several groups, the two most basic groups are the Basidiomycetes and the Ascomycetes. Most of the fungi that we recognise as mushrooms are Basidiomycetes. Several, such as the Morels, are Ascomycetes.