What can we conclude from this research?
From this research we can arrive at preliminary conclusions that fresh Aloe exudate, along with the major chemical components aloin and aloenin, disrupt the morphology and growth of both P. destructans and M. nanum. Fungi grown in the presence of these factors had decreased hyphal density, conidial production, and damaged architecture.
What are the future directions of this project?
This project is still being performed. In the future we plan to examine our microscopy images with DIC to create 3D images of the hyphae, test the effects of the exudates on a wider range of dermatophytes, look further into the chemical components of the exudate, and investigate if/how the exudates influence fungal thigmotropism.