Human milk contains live breast cells, and a researcher plans to use them to build computer and lab-grown models of how milk is actually made. Despite the World Health Organisation recommending breastfeeding for the first 12 months of life, the biology of human lactation remains poorly understood. Most knowledge comes from dairy science, not from human studies. This project addresses that gap by using cells naturally shed into milk—a non-invasive source of living tissue—to create both computational simulations and laboratory models of the lactation process. If successful, these models could answer fundamental questions that currently have no clear answers: why some women cannot produce enough milk, how milk composition varies between individuals, which drugs interfere with milk production, and what long-term changes occur in the breast after lactation. The work is primarily fundamental science—it aims to map the molecular machinery of human lactation for the first time. There is no immediate clinical application. But understanding the basic biology could eventually lead to strategies for improving breastfeeding outcomes, particularly for women with low milk supply, and ultimately improve long-term health for both mothers and infants.
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The early days of life sets the scene for an individual's long-term health. Human milk provides the best source of nutritional, developmental and immune support for the infant; thus, breastfeeding is recommended by the World Health Organisation for the first 12 months of an infant's life. Despite the clear importance of human lactation, it remains a greatly understudied area. During my career, I have discovered that human milk contains live breast cells that, with further study, can help us to better understand how milk is produced. Within my proposed research programme, I aim to build computer based and laboratory-grown models of the human lactation process. By comparing the different nutritional and cellular components of milk, I will identify commonalities and characterise how different maternal backgrounds might modify milk production. In addition, I will make a lab-grown model allowing me to verify findings from the computational model and determine how milk is made. I will use these models to explore central questions in human lactation such as why some women can't produce milk, how milk composition differs between individuals, which drugs affect milk production and what the long term changes in the breast are as a result of lactation. Results obtained by my research will not only increase our understanding of how human lactation works but will identify strategies to improve breastfeeding, particularly in women with low supply, to improve the long-term health outcomes of women and children.
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