M. Carmen Collado, PhD in Biotechnology (2005, Polytechnic University of Valencia-UPV, Valencia, Spain); Adjunct Professor (2007-now) at the University of Turku, Finland and Research Scientist (2012-now) at Dept. Biotechnology, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology-Spanish National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), Valencia, Spain. Her research work is multidisciplinary and includes microbiology, food science and nutrition areas. Her interests are focused on probiotics, microbiota and health and nutrition during pregnancy and early life period. Her current work includes basic and applied research on molecular analysis and evaluation of health effects of beneficial bacteria and probiotics, the microbial-host interactions, microbiome and its role in human health and diseases and also, the influence of perinatal factors during early life.
Lecture title
Breast milk microbiota and factors influencing its composition.
Summary title
Beyond its nutritional aspects, human milk contains several bioactive compounds, such as microbes, oligosaccharides, and other substances, which are involved in host-microbe interactions and have a key role in infant health. New techniques have increased our understanding of milk microbiota composition, and recently, the presence of fungi has also reported. However, little is known about the relationship between bacteria and milk macronutrients and human cells, as well the interactions with other compounds. Furthermore, different studies shown that human milk composition is shaped by genetic factors, mode of delivery, maternal nutrition, and also, would differ within feeds, day time, lactation stage and also, between mothers and populations. However, little is known about the impact of those factors on human milk microbiome. This lecture is aimed to give an overview of milk microbiota composition and activity, including factors influencing microbial composition and their potential biological relevance on infants’ future health.