- CollegeCentral Saint Martins
- CourseMA Biodesign
- Graduation year2025
Mycoremediation and Regenerative Futures in Sierra Leone
“Fale” (Mende for mushroom) is a low-tech, mycelium-based system designed to remediate toxic textile-dye wastewater in Sierra Leone. Using local oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) cultivation and agricultural waste like coconut husk, Fale filters pollutants from synthetic dye effluent produced by small-scale Gara (tie-dye) artisans. The system uses ceramic fermentation vessels to create an optimal microclimate for mycelium growth, enabling enzymatic degradation and biosorption of contaminants. With mushroom farming expanding across Sierra Leone, Fale taps into community knowledge, craft, and local waste-streams to offer an accessible solution to environmental pollution.
“Mapping Regenerative Practices in Sierra Leone” is a book of conversations with four Sierra Leonean visionaries. Through activism, science, art, and community-led conservation, it highlights locally-rooted approaches to climate justice—showcasing new pathways for ecological renewal and regenerative futures in West Africa.
Final work
Oyster Mushroom Based Filter for Textile Dyes
Lignolytic enzymes produced by P. Ostreatus oxidatively degrade textile dyes.
Ceramic fermentation vessel creates a cooler microclimate via evaporative cooling, enhancing mycelium growth in tropical climates.
Gara artisans filtering dye effluent
Filtration Substrate Components
The Mycofiltration substrate includes: P. Ostreatus , coconut biochar, coconut husk, peanut husks, sawdust, cassava peels. Each part of the substrate address a different need: nutrients for mycelium, dye absorption, and lignin to increase enzyme production
The engraving on the column depicts the oxidative breakdown of dyes.
