Analytical Platform

Rapid and quantitative HMO composition analysis from less than a drop of milk to investigate which maternal genetic and environmental factors influence HMO composition and how HMO composition impacts health and development of infants and mothers.

HMO amount and composition are highly variable between different women. However, it remains vastly unknown which fixed and modifiable maternal factors influence HMO composition and whether differences in HMO composition impact infant and maternal health and development. This gap in knowledge stems primarily from a lack of suitable longitudinal cohorts to study these associations (i.e. with available breast milk samples, precise clinical diagnoses, and detailed maternal phenotyping) and the absence of technology for high-throughput HMO analysis required for large cohorts.