Sarah Faulina goes beneath the surface: Compost, fatty acids, and microbial change

In this episode, Dr Jenny Ekman (AHR) sits down with University of Sydney PhD candidate Sarah Faulina, to dig into the topic of fatty acids and the role they can play in improving compost efficiency.

The conversation explores her early-stage research into compost supplements, specifically fatty-acid–rich amendments like canola and flaxseed, and how they influence the microbial communities within compost. While her research will eventually extend to crop yield, it begins beneath the surface – investigating the mechanisms at play and how fatty acids influence bacterial and fungal populations.
 
With compost amendments often being costly, Sarah’s work into understanding why fatty acids are effective opens the door to more affordable and scalable ways of achieving the same benefits. Thanks to modern testing technologies, researchers can now identify microbial communities in far greater detail, revisiting questions that were previously limited to yield alone.

Curious about how microscopic processes could shape the future of mushroom production? Take a listen to this episode.

Podcast hosted by Dr Jenny Ekman, AHR.

Sarah Faulina is a PhD candidate from The University of Sydney. Her research is focused on understanding how fatty acids influence mushroom growth through the microbial dynamics of compost. Her work examines why fatty acid supplements increased yields in previous research, with the long-term goal of assessing whether these approaches could be viable for large-scale production. Outside the lab, Sarah loves exploring forests and observing wild mushrooms - now with the added joy of understanding what helps them grow.