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Abstract

GenV: Preservation of Human Milk for Biological Discovery †

1
School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
2
ABREAST Network, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
3
UWA Centra for Human Lactation Research and Translation, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
4
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
5
Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
6
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Presented at Australian Breastfeeding + Lactation Research and Science Translation Conference (ABREAST Conference 2024), Perth, Australia, 15 November 2024.
Proceedings 2025, 112(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025112010
Published: 2 January 2025

Abstract

:
Human milk contains a variety of biologically active molecules that are essential for infant growth and development, as well as indicators of maternal health. However, understanding the full potential of these molecules is challenging due to variations in their concentrations among mothers, potential degradation during sample handling and storage, and the limited accessibility of specific human milk analyses. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a freeze-dried preservative cocktail in maintaining the stability of key milk molecules during collection, transport, and storage. GenV participants (n = 96) were given a sample collection kit and followed the instructions to collect approximately 5 mL of breast milk, which was placed in a collection tube containing the preservative. The samples were mailed at ambient temperature to the GenV laboratory (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), where they were aliquoted into 1 mL tubes using a liquid handling system (Janus) and stored at −80 °C. These samples were randomly selected and sent to The University of Western Australia (Perth, Western Australia, Australia) on dry ice for biochemical analysis. The average collection day postpartum was 16 ± 14 (range 1–91 days), while the average postal receipt time was 5 ± 3 days (range 1–16 days), and samples were processed within 6 days of receipt (average 3 ± 2 days). The mean concentrations of key molecules—fat (48.6 ± 17.1 g/L), protein (15.5 ± 4.3 g/L), lactose (78.9 ± 13.9 g/L), glucose (0.17 ± 0.17 g/L), lysozyme (0.16 ± 0.16 g/L), and insulin (6.1 ± 4.9 μIU/mL)—were consistent with reported literature values. There were no statistically significant differences in molecular concentrations based on postal transit time, receipt, or processing delays (p > 0.05). These results demonstrate that the preservative cocktail effectively preserved the integrity of key molecules in human milk during handling, postal transport, and storage at ambient temperature. The findings support its use as a valuable tool for human milk research, enabling more flexible sample collection and handling without compromising the quality of the milk or the biochemical analysis. Future research should explore its application in broader contexts to further enhance the accuracy and reliability of milk composition studies across diverse research settings.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, C.T.L. and D.T.G.; methodology, C.T.L. and D.T.G.; formal analysis, C.T.L.; investigation, D.T.G. and C.T.L.; resources, D.T.G.; data curation, C.T.L. and D.T.G.; writing—original draft preparation, C.T.L.; writing—review and editing, D.T.G., J.M., A.F., W.S., T.F., K.P., Y.M., S.L.P., M.W., M.E.W. and R.S.; visualization, C.T.L.; supervision, D.T.G.; funding acquisition, D.T.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by an unrestricted research grant from Medela AG (Switzerland). C.T.L. and D.T.G. receive a salary from an unrestricted research grant paid by Medela AG and administered by The University of Western Australia. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of the data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Institutional Review Board Statement

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at The University of Western Australia (2019/RA/4/20/4023) and conducted in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Acknowledgments

We thank all our participants and their families for their time and help with this research.

Conflicts of Interest

D.T.G. declares participation in the Scientific Advisory Board of Medela AG. C.T.L. and D.T.G. are/were supported by an unrestricted research grant from Medela AG, administered by The University of Western Australia. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of the data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Lai, C.T.; Powell, K.; Mangwiro, Y.; Frugier, T.; Fedyukova, A.; Mohal, J.; Siero, W.; Perrella, S.L.; Wake, M.; Wlodek, M.E.; et al. GenV: Preservation of Human Milk for Biological Discovery. Proceedings 2025, 112, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025112010

AMA Style

Lai CT, Powell K, Mangwiro Y, Frugier T, Fedyukova A, Mohal J, Siero W, Perrella SL, Wake M, Wlodek ME, et al. GenV: Preservation of Human Milk for Biological Discovery. Proceedings. 2025; 112(1):10. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025112010

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lai, Ching Tat, Kim Powell, Yeukai Mangwiro, Tony Frugier, Anna Fedyukova, Jatender Mohal, William Siero, Sharon L. Perrella, Melissa Wake, Mary E. Wlodek, and et al. 2025. "GenV: Preservation of Human Milk for Biological Discovery" Proceedings 112, no. 1: 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025112010

APA Style

Lai, C. T., Powell, K., Mangwiro, Y., Frugier, T., Fedyukova, A., Mohal, J., Siero, W., Perrella, S. L., Wake, M., Wlodek, M. E., Saffery, R., & Geddes, D. T. (2025). GenV: Preservation of Human Milk for Biological Discovery. Proceedings, 112(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025112010

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