Elucidating the Mechanism of Action of Breast Milk-Derived Synbiotic Consortia in Establishing a Healthy Infant Gut

A healthy microbiome, which describes the microorganisms which reside on and in us, is crucial in regulating digestive, immune and metabolic functions. Breast milk (BM) contributes 40% of the beneficial bacteria in an infant's gut; without it, babies are vulnerable to microbiome-related diseases (necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, diabetes, IBS, incompatible medication, etc). Unfortunately, many women struggle to breastfeed for a number of reasons (return to work, mastitis, low supply, difficulty latching) and this has led to a reduction of breastfeeding rates by 50% in the last 100 years. This has had widespread implications for infant health, with microbiome-related and autoimmune diseases on the rise. To rectify this, **BoobyBiome is developing a breakthrough breast milk-derived synbiotic (probiotic bacteria+prebiotic sugars) for infants with compromised microbiomes.**

This first-of-its-kind, consortia synbiotic will contain BM-derived probiotic bacteria supplemented with prebiotic sugars, mimicking BM. Strains are selected through rigorous testing and precise characterisation of BM. Current products are poorly regulated, containing limited strains sourced only from infant stool; our next-generation multi-strain synbiotic will fill an unmet need in the expanding microbiome market, improving the health outcomes of preterms at a reduced cost to standard interventions.

**Our project aims to achieve the following pivotal objectives:**

1. Assess the functional role of our candidate strains on two infant gut cell models, ranking those strains which best reduce inflammation, improve gut barrier integrity, and increase mucin expression.
2. Determining which metabolites produced are likely responsible for these effects.
3. Establish an execution plan for a health claim application to the European Food Safety authority.

Key to the completion of these milestones and health-claim status is our team. BoobyBiome is a female-led team of highly qualified scientists with proven business expertise and diverse skill sets, based at the Institute of Child Health, UCL, in collaboration with esteemed infant microbiologist Dr Bajaj-Elliott, Associate Professor of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation. This project will also allow us to leverage the expertise of a number of specialised subcontractors, including the University of Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, and Metabolon, a global leading in metabolomics with a UK base.

BoobyBiome is dedicated to providing **clinically-validated, accessible solutions** for infants with compromised microbiomes, reshaping infant healthcare by harnessing the natural benefits of breast milk.