Mikayla Carmichael, a ninth-grade FFA student, developed an SAE project using mycelium to filter and clean polluted water from livestock runoff. After identifying E. coli, coliforms, and heavy metals in pig pen water through testing, she inoculated burlap sacks with mushroom mycelium to naturally remove these contaminants as water passes through. The project combines environmental remediation with animal health, and Mikayla hopes to apply these findings to a future career in veterinary science.
