BoobyBiome awarded Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst Grant

May 2022. BoobyBiome, a UK-based biotech startup, has been awarded an InnovateUK grant of £564,063 to develop a live biotherapeutic product for clinical use in preterm babies. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), a UK-based technology innovation center.

Preterm birth is a major health problem globally, with an estimated 15 million babies born prematurely each year. Preterm infants are at high risk of developing serious health problems, including necrotising enterocolitis, infections and sepsis. Breast milk is known to contain beneficial bacteria that can help protect infants from infections, but preterm babies may not receive enough of these bacteria due to their immature immune systems.

BoobyBiome's live biotherapeutic product aims to address this problem by supplementing preterm infants' diets with beneficial bacteria derived from breast milk. The product is based on BoobyBiome's proprietary technology for isolating and characterising the microbiome of breast milk.

The development of a live biotherapeutic product for preterm babies has the potential to improve the health outcomes of millions of infants worldwide. BoobyBiome's innovative approach to harnessing the microbiome of breast milk could be a game-changer in the field of neonatal care. The InnovateUK grant will support the development of a promising technology that could have a significant impact on the health outcomes of preterm infants.