Gut microbiomes are established from birth. There is a unique window of opportunity for adjusting the microbiome to a healthier state in early life. Breastfeeding contributes to 40% of the beneficial bacteria in an infant’s gut. Babies without access to breastmilk, particularly preterm infants, are therefore vulnerable to microbiome-related disease. Indeed, the leading cause of mortality in preterms is necrotising enterocolitis and sepsis, both thought to be preventable if a robust microbiome is already established. Breast milk is considered the best treatment, but often premature babies are too ill to be fed naturally and mothers can often struggle to express sufficient quantities.
BoobyBiome is developing a clinically designed live biotherapeutic product, composed of the bacterial species present in breastmilk. It will contain a cocktail of keystone species that have been isolated from breast milk, known to be critical for developing the infant gut. This will safeguard preterms from developing deficient microbiomes, which we plan to demonstrate in a clinical trial. BoobyBiome is a team of three female co-founders, all who conducted PhD’s at UCL, London in Life Sciences. We are working from the Institute of Child’s Health at UCL, and collaborating with top infant microbiologist Dr. Mona Bajaj-Elliott.