A majority of babies worldwide consume infant formula in their first six months of life, either as a primary source of nutrition or as a supplement to breastfeeding. However, formula currently does not replicate the full nutritional profile of breast milk, which contains around 200 prebiotic sugar molecules that support healthy gut bacteria and disease prevention. Most of these sugars are difficult to manufacture, but new research led by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Davis, shows that genetically engineered plants could help bridge this gap. By reprogramming plants’ sugar-making machinery, the study team has been able to produce a diverse array of human milk sugars, also known as human milk oligosaccharides, which could lead to the development of healthier and more affordable formula for infants or more nutritious non-dairy plant milk for adults.
Plants have the ability to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugars, including complex sugars like human milk oligosaccharides. These complex sugars are made up of simple sugars linked together in specific patterns, which are unique to human milk oligosaccharides. To manipulate plants into producing human milk oligosaccharides, the researchers engineered the genes responsible for making these specific linkages and introduced them into the Nicotiana benthamiana plant, a relative of tobacco. The genetically modified plants successfully produced 11 known human milk oligosaccharides, as well as other complex sugars with similar linkage patterns. They were able to demonstrate simultaneous production of all three major groups of human milk oligosaccharides, a significant achievement in the field.
One specific human milk oligosaccharide, LNFP1, was targeted for production as it is known to be beneficial but cannot be made at scale using traditional methods. By optimizing a stable line of N. benthamiana plants to produce LNFP1, the researchers aimed to address a current challenge faced by the industry. While a few human milk oligosaccharides can be produced using engineered bacteria, the process is costly and limited in its application. The team estimated that producing human milk oligosaccharides from plants at an industrial scale would likely be more cost-effective than using microbial platforms, making it a promising alternative for the future.
The ultimate goal of this research is to be able to produce all human milk oligosaccharides in a single plant and extract them simultaneously for use in infant formula. While there are challenges to commercialization, the potential benefits of this approach are significant. The study also highlights the importance of collaboration between researchers from different institutions and disciplines in advancing scientific knowledge. The work was supported by various funding sources, including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
Overall, the study marks a significant advancement in the field of infant nutrition by demonstrating the feasibility of producing human milk oligosaccharides in plants. This could lead to the development of more nutritious formula for infants, potentially improving their long-term health outcomes. The use of genetically engineered plants to produce these complex sugars represents an innovative approach that has the potential to revolutionize the way infant formula is formulated in the future. Further research and development in this area will be necessary to fully realize the potential benefits of this technology.