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Infant microbiome: metabolism of milk sugars

This dossier follows research into infant gut bacteria’s access to milk nutrients, distinguishing experimental mechanisms from demonstrated clinical benefits.

Last updated : 1 key moments
A laboratory culture of Bifidobacterium bifidum in 1966.
Archive illustration, not a sample from the 2026 study. CDC / Dr. Lucille K. Georg, public domain. — CDC / Dr. Lucille K. Georg, 1966 / Wikimedia Commons — domaine public, sans modification.

Where things stand

On 2 November 2026, a study describes a Bifidobacterium bifidum PNGaseA enzyme. No clinical benefit from a new formula is demonstrated.

Reported information

Study explains how infant-associated bacteria access milk sugars

A study published on 2 November 2026 in Nature Communications describes how an enzyme from Bifidobacterium bifidum releases certain sugars attached to short protein fragments. The team includes researchers in Birmingham and Zaragoza.

A laboratory culture of Bifidobacterium bifidum in 1966.
Archive illustration, not a sample from the 2026 study. CDC / Dr. Lucille K. Georg, public domain. — CDC / Dr. Lucille K. Georg, 1966 / Wikimedia Commons — domaine public, sans modification.

Biochemical and structural experiments show that this PNGaseA enzyme prefers glycopeptides over whole proteins. The mechanism clarifies a route to nutrients for bacteria associated with the infant gut.

The authors envisage future applications in infant nutrition. The work describes a molecular mechanism; it demonstrates neither the effectiveness of a new infant formula nor a clinical benefit in babies.

Sources 2