Beneficial Bacteria in the Infant Gut Uses Nitrogen from Breast Milk to Support Baby's Health
Published:19 Apr.2023 Source:University of Massachusetts Amherst
In a paper published Monday, March 27, in the journal Gut Microbes, senior author Sela describes how B. infantisutilizes urea from human milk to recycle nitrogen in the infant's gut microbiome. The paper lays the groundwork for applying this discovery to improve infant health around the world by identifying molecular targets to improve nitrogen metabolism efficiency.
"This might lead to nutritional interventions and diagnostic tools to address infant nutrition, not only in the Western world, but also in developing countries," Sela says. "If we have a better understanding of how the microbiome contributes to nutrition, we have a better understanding of how to provide nourishment to not only healthy infants but also infants who are preterm or are more predisposed to diseases, sickness and conditions that are deleterious to their health."
After years of research, Sela and his team in the Sela Lab have achieved an understanding of the process from the microbial side, which was "the overarching objective of the project." Since 2021, Sela's research has been funded by a five-year, $1.69 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.