A state-of-the-art human milk biobank – the first in Australia and only the third in the world – is expected to supercharge global research into breastmilk and infant nutrition, growth and development.
Housed at The University of Western Australia and spearheaded by leading lactation researcher Professor Donna Geddes, the newly launched WA Human Milk Biobank has already collected more than 1,000 samples and has capacity for more than 100,000.
The samples, to be sourced from women throughout Western Australia and made available to researchers on application, will be used to drive discoveries in breastmilk composition, nutrition, maternal and child health, and to help solve problems including low milk production and mastitis.
Professor Geddes, Director of the Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation at UWA, said high-quality biological specimens were a prerequisite to translational research but could be costly and difficult to source on a study-by-study basis.
"Researchers currently have limited access to valuable longitudinal human milk samples and this is hindering advancements in our understanding of, for example, the impact of human milk composition on the infant microbiome," she said.
"This in turn is slowing identification of potential therapeutic human milk components, such as probiotics, that could be used as supplements for vulnerable infants or mothers prone to mastitis."
Professor Geddes said she expected WA's biobank – supported by the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation – to experience strong demand from researchers around Australia and the world because of the unique nature of its sample collections.
"Most milk collections source their samples almost exclusively from Caucasian donors," she said. "Our biobank is designed to capture and make available samples and de-identified data from donors of all backgrounds and cultures, and from different locations including rural and hot climates in remote WA.
"This will enable us to obtain a far more nuanced understanding of the factors affecting human milk composition and production.
"We know, for example, that different ethnicities have different cultural behaviours around breastfeeding or may have different diets that can result in difference in their milk. If we understand these differences, we can make better recommendations around nutrition and environmental exposures.
"Similarly, recruiting women from rural areas and those in areas with extreme heat exposure will give us valuable insights into the impact of temperature and climate on breastmilk composition and production."
In the future the biobank aims to collect samples from mothers with preterm babies to help researchers better understand barriers to full milk production following preterm birth, and how human milk nutrients affect preterm infants' growth and development.
"Carrying out these uniquely targeted collections really makes this a one-of-a-kind biobank that will serve as a cornerstone for data-intensive discovery, supporting groundbreaking research and innovation," Professor Geddes said.
"The beauty is the milk women so generously donate to us won't be used for just one purpose – each sample will be divided up and carefully stored in our -80C freezers for use in multiple studies to answer multiple questions.
"We want to make sure every drop counts."
To find out more about the WA Human Milk Biobank, including how to donate breast milk and how to apply for research samples, head here.
