The Human Microbiome Project has prompted unprecedented advancement in microbiome science. Personalized microbiome modulation with precision (PMMP) is one of the emerging yet challenging fields in microbiome research. Carbohydrate-based prebiotics (CBPs) have been shown to modulate the gut microbiome to various extents according to different structural characteristics, such as degree of polymerization, branching, glycosidic linkage, monosaccharide profile, and chemical modification. Subsequently, a targeted modulation of the microbiome might be achieved by using CBPs with a specific structure. A multidimensional database can be established based on the structure-microbiome and structure-microbial-marker relationships. Such relationships could facilitate the development of synbiotics and PMMP.
Keywords: nondigestible carbohydrates; personalized microbiome modulation with precision; prebiotics; structure−microbial-marker relationship; structure−microbiome relationship.