Biomilq, a startup, has taken a bold initiative to replicate breast milk. They have managed it to the point of producing the most common components of breast milk, namely casein and lactose. Casein is the protein and lactose is the sugar present in the milk. They achieved this by growing human mammary cells in the lab, meaning the first time out of the human body.

However, this is just a baby step since breast milk comprises of at least hundreds of different components: a multitude of proteins, fats, and sugars, and also antibodies, hormones, and beneficial bacteria. The founders are aware of the limitations of their project - Leila Strickland and Michelle Egger, Biomilqs founders, do agree "immunological" representation may not be possible. Still, they are aiming to make it "nutritionally" similar. Experts are skeptical of this idea and commented that complete replication would not be possible.

Leila's son had trouble latching on to her breast, and she could not produce enough milk - these problems, along with her background of cell biology, led her into this research idea. She started growing mammary cells in a tiny lab space in 2013 at a lab in North Carolina. And in 2019, she met Egger, a former scientist who worked on Go-Gurt. They both launched Biomilq late last year, which aims to produce cultured milk.

Though human milk is sold in milk banks, it is not as easy as it sounds, due to the elaborate and stringent process it involves, along with its cost being high. Whereas formula, on the other hand, is cheaper, safe, and readily available. So, Biomilq is trying to address the issue of making nutritious milk available as easily as a formula. The researchers believe that cultured milk could be more suitable in the baby's gut since it is made from human cells and suit them well in improving the baby's gut microbes. However, the bioreactor cultured milk may lack other vital components like antibodies, fats, or hormones, which take a whole-body working to make them. Biomilq suggests adding fats as supplements.

Maryanne Perrin, a breast-milk researcher at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, who has studied women trying to buy breast milk online for their children, said, "There's just a feeling of failure: I can't do this for my child. This is really important. I heard a lot of anxiety in the voices and comments. Breast milk is too complicated to recreate it in test tube comment Perrin. It is a mix of unpredictable concoction which communicates with the baby using its retrograde milk flow, taking cues from the baby's spit. The milk thus produced is calibrated to meet the baby's needs exactly. So, achieving this sort of potent potion might be near to impossible, according to her. Still, many other challenges await this project, like large scale production without contamination at reduced costs.

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If successfully budged, it would make it a super hit!

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Neha is a writer by passion, and a freelancer by profession. With the eagerness to quench the thirst for knowledge, she has set out on the endless journey of writing and growing. Also, being a super active mother of a super busy child, she wants to strike the perfect balance between her career and personal life!

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Startup's Bold Move To Produce 'Breast Milk' In Lab | BabyGaga - BabyGaga