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.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

Bacteriophages are the most abundant microscopic agents on Earth, yet much about them remains a mystery. In this episode, Dr Jenny Ekman (AHR) sits down with University of Sydney PhD candidate Rebecca Martin to discuss how these microscopic agents could be playing a surprising role in mushroom production.

The conversation covers what bacteriophages are, how they influence nutrient cycling in compost, and how understanding their behaviour could help Agaricus mycelium access nutrients more efficiently. Rebecca takes us inside her meticulous research, using advanced bioinformatics and DNA analysis to profile compost phages with remarkable precision.

Podcast hosted by Jenny Ekman, AHR.

Rebecca Martin: Rebecca is in the final year of her PhD at the University of Sydney, supervised by Michael Kertesz and Gary Muscatello. She previously completed her Bachelor of Science with honours at the University of Sydney, majoring in both microbiology and biology. Her PhD project perfectly combines two of her major academic interests, ecology and weird microorganisms.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

In this episode, Meghann Thai and Umberto Calvo reflect on their recent trip to Pennsylvania, where they attended the Penn State University Mushroom Short Course, visited the Mushroom Research Centre, and toured ten local mushroom farms.

They share insights into how the US are approaching innovation, sustainability, and research, and how these practices compare to the Australian industry.

From composting techniques to casing materials, peat use, and local regulations, Meghann and Umberto unpack what they observed across a wide range of farming systems. They also explore how variations in infrastructure can influence production challenges, including the local fly issues.

Throughout the discussion, they discuss where Australia is leading the way, where there’s room to learn, and how international collaboration could pave the way for future breakthroughs.

Podcast hosted by Jenny Ekman, AHR.

Umberto Calvo from AHR works across a variety of R&D projects in multiple horticultural industries in Australia, from avocados to vegetables. He is the manager of the Marsh Lawson Mushroom Research Unit, in Sydney. Umberto was in the US to attend the Mushroom Short Course at Penn State University and visit local farms to better understand their growing techniques, as well as their composting and casing materials.

Meghann Thai is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Microbiology at The University of Sydney. Her current research focuses on the microbial dynamics in casing soil and aims to develop a sustainable alternative material for use in casing soil for button mushroom production. Meghann was invited by Professor Michael Wolfin to speak at the Penn State University Mushroom Short Course. Together with her colleague Umberto, she also visited several local farms to gain insight into US practices.

This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

Link to the website: https://www.mushroomlink.com.au/

The music for this podcast is "Mushroom Boy" by Qurtis, it is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse