Infant Formula Revolutionized: Tobacco-Like Plants Genetically Engineered To Produce Human Milk Sugars

A landmark study revealed that genetically engineered plants, such as tobacco, may now produce carbohydrates found in human milk. This could affect infant formula and plant-based milk for humans.

Because of this innovative concept, better and cheaper food options may become available, particularly for babies who require formula.

Tobacco-like Plants Genetically Engineered to Produce Human Milk Sugars — Pexels/ Towfiqu barbhuiya

The Science Behind the New Idea

Scientists from the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, Berkeley, worked together to change how plants make sugar to make human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). HMOs are complex sugars found in large amounts in human breast milk. They are essential for keeping babies' gut bacteria healthy and keeping them from getting sick. Because they are hard to make, these sugars are not in traditional baby formulas.

To make these good sugars, the research team worked on Nicotiana benthamiana, a plant that is related to tobacco. By adding specific genes that control the enzymes that make HMOs, the plants made 11 types of human milk oligosaccharides, including LNFP1, one of the most helpful. Infants exposed to LNFP1 are less likely to get infections, but it has been hard to make much of it using normal means.

Dr. Patrick Shih, an assistant plant and microbial biology professor at UC Berkeley, talked about the promise of innovation. He said that all of the oligosaccharides found in human milk could be made in a single plant.

This would make it possible to grind the plant, extract the oligosaccharides simultaneously, and then add them straight to infant formula. Even though there are many problems with application and commercialization, he said that this is the main goal they are working towards.

Long-Term Goal of Improving Infant Nutrition

This significant move shows great potential for improving infant nutrition. About 200 different HMOs are in breast milk, human milk's third most common solid part. Baby's bodies can't break down these sugars, but good bacteria in the gut need them to stay healthy and lower the risk of illnesses. Currently, modified E. coli bacteria can only be used to make a few HMOs, and the process is expensive and limited.

Using genetically modified plants could make the process of making HMOs more efficient and less expensive. This method improves infant formula and allows people to drink healthier, nondairy plant milk. As part of the study, a techno-economic analysis was done, and it was found that making HMOs in plants might be cheaper than the present methods of making them in microbes.

Collin Barnum, who led the study, talked about the possible effects: "We thought that if we could start making these bigger, more complex human milk oligosaccharides, we could solve a problem that the industry can't solve right now." This could lead to better plant-based milk for babies and many other areas of food and health for adults.

Aside from infant nutrition, other research groups are looking into the possibilities of HMO-based medicines, using their prebiotic properties to improve health in different ways. In terms of food and biotechnology, this novel concept represents a significant advancement that may enhance the health and welfare of people everywhere.

Changing the genes of plants to make human milk sugars is a huge step forward in the field of nutrition science. As research goes on and technology gets better enough to be sold, we may soon have a new generation of infant formulas and plant-based milk that are very similar to human breast milk in terms of health benefits and helping the next generation grow and develop.