Precision Nutrition
Individualized dietary strategies powered by gut microbiome profiling
Why One Diet Doesn't Fit All
Two patients with the same diagnosis can respond entirely differently to the same diet. A growing body of evidence links this individual variation to differences in gut microbiome composition — the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and archaea that colonize the gastrointestinal tract and profoundly influence nutrient metabolism, immune function, and systemic inflammation.
Our precision nutrition research uses Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) — specifically 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomics — to characterize each patient's unique microbiome. We then map this profile to dietary interventions, prebiotic/probiotic formulations, and fermentation substrate selection to optimize gut health and clinical outcomes.
16S rRNA Sequencing
Community-level taxonomy profiling of the gut microbiome. Identifies bacterial genera and species shifts in response to dietary changes or disease states.
Shotgun Metagenomics
Whole-genome sequencing of microbial communities. Provides functional gene annotation — revealing what metabolic pathways are active, not just who is present.
Microbial Dysbiosis Index (DI)
A validated qPCR-based score to quantify gut dysbiosis in companion animals. Used to monitor response to dietary and probiotic interventions over time.
Diet–Microbiome Interaction Mapping
Correlating dietary fiber type (FOS, pectin, inulin) and protein source (hydrolyzed vs. intact) with microbiome community structure and metabolite output.
Clinical Applications
- ✓ Species- and breed-specific probiotic strain selection for IBD management
- ✓ Prebiotic substrate matching to individual microbiome composition (FOS vs. pectin vs. inulin)
- ✓ Post-antibiotic microbiome restoration protocols
- ✓ Diet reformulation to shift enterotype in metabolically compromised patients (CKD, hepatic disease)
- ✓ Early dysbiosis detection in at-risk breeds before clinical signs emerge