Uncovering the secrets of human breast milk

Today's Video of the Day from the American Chemical Society features Vanderbilt University chemist Dr. Steven Townsend, who is one of the leading breast milk experts in the world.  Dr. Townsend is studying human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which are complex sugar molecules found in human breast milk. Human milk oligosaccharides not only promote the development of beneficial gut bacteria in growing babies, but also help stop the development of bad bacteria.  A mother can produce more than 200 different kinds of oligosaccharides in breast …