CarboCode launches bio-identical GM3 study to advance infant brain development

An international team of Dutch and Portuguese scientists has launched a study to determine how an essential component of breast milk, ganglioside GM3, influences early brain development. The landmark research will be based on Portugal start-up CarboCode’s synthetic ganglioside GM3, which is “identical” to the form found in human milk. 

Gangliosides are complex lipids that play specific roles in processes, such as neurogenesis and synapse formation. However, there is limited research on the exact effects of these molecules on the developing brain.

For the first time, the study, led by CarboCode alongside NIZO Food Research and the University of Twente, in the Netherlands, will use an integrated in vitro approach to comprehensively map relevant physiological processes in the human body. This will span from GM3 ingestion and absorption to its potential effects on brain development.

The results will outline the importance of GM3’s role in early-life nutrition and support its inclusion in nutritional solutions that narrow the gap between infant formula and breast milk.

“At CarboCode, we believe glycosphingolipids have the power to transform human health. Our technology uniquely enables the production of human-identical gangliosides at scale for the first time, making access to these critical compounds both viable and sustainable,” says Jorge Santos, CEO of Carbocode.

“By creating representative GM3 ganglioside and partnering with leading research organizations, we are advancing the scientific understanding of GM3’s role in infant brain development and laying the foundation for the next generation of nutritional solutions.”

How the body integrates GM3

The partners highlight a strong interest in opportunities to supplement infant formula with gangliosides in order to support neonatal development. They aim to simulate GM3 digestion and absorption in the human body and to investigate biomarkers effects on neonatal brain development, which are relevant to infant cognition.

By connecting these models in a pipeline, the project will follow GM3 throughout its journey through the body and generate mechanistic, human‑relevant data that cannot be obtained from traditional animal studies.

The partners highlight a strong interest in opportunities to supplement infant formula with gangliosides in order to support neonatal development.Project leads say this approach will unveil an “unprecedented level of biological insight.”

Using advanced in vitro human models, NIZO and the University of Twente will combine their complementary expertise to recreate all relevant physiological processes — from its digestion, microbial metabolism, and absorption to potential effects on brain cells.

The project is partly funded by a research program by the Biostime Institute for Nutrition & Care, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing scientific research and strengthening professional knowledge in the fields of maternal and infant health and nutrition.

“This project has the potential to generate major scientific insights that could help to further close the gap between breast milk and infant formulas,” says Dr. Hanno Cappon, chairman of the Biostime Institute for Nutrition & Care.

“This is a unique public-private partnership combining the strengths of academia, scientific research institutes, and industry that will contribute to the advancements in infant nutrition research and applications in pediatric healthcare.”

Narrowing gap between breast milk and formula

Breast milk is widely recognized as the gold standard nutritional source for newborns, delivering essential bioactive compounds that support healthy development.

However, new developments such as the refinement of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in infant formula are narrowing the gap between breast milk and formula — propelling single-ingredient formulations to complex, multifunctional blends.

Nutrition Insight hosted an exclusive webinar with experts from Novonesis, who presented advancements in HMO research and science based on the latest data from its labs alongside academic collaborations with the University of California, San Diego, US, and the University of Bonn, Germany.