A mother’s microbial gift

PULLMAN, Wash. – It happened again, most recently at a conference in Prague. After she gave her talk, a scientist came up to Shelley McGuire, a pioneer exploring the microbial communities found in human breast milk, and told her, “You don’t know how to take a sample. Your samples must have been contaminated. Human milk is sterile.”

McGuire, a professor of human nutrition at Washington State University, knows differently: She’s seen the microbes with her own eyes. But she understands the shock some feel when long-held assumptions are challenged. 

 See story at Washington State Magazine.

Next Story

Recent News

Inside WSU’s student-run hackathons

Hackathons have become a defining space for student innovation, with two taking center stage this year.

WSU recognized for support of first-generation students

The university’s elevation to FirstGen Forward Network Champion reflects growing enrollment, improved retention, and expanded support programs helping first-generation students succeed.