Suspension of Arthroderma and Trichophyton species in RPMI-1640 medium provided long-term viability at room temperature

To the Editor: Research on dermatophytic fungi requires taxonomically well-defined strains. Furthermore, the long-term preservation of certain human pathogenic dermatophytes is crucial for mycological investigations. Subculturing is time-consuming, prone to contamination, and impractical, especially in routine practice. Although strain preservation under mineral oil, silica gel, soil, sand, or sterile water has been successful, periodic subculturing of these preserved strains is a major problem in laboratories with limited funds.