A guide to collecting 
your sample

If you're aware that the swab has been accidentally refrigerated or frozen, include a note to the laboratory on the sample submission form explaining what happened. The lab will assess the sample on receipt and let you know whether the result can be reported, or whether a repeat collection is required.

It's worth noting that the dry swab used in the UK collection kit isn't intended for cold storage. If you're at all in doubt, get in touch with our support team before posting the sample.

Yes — if you're in a metro area, it's fine to collect the sample the day before posting. We know it's not always easy to get to the post office first thing in the morning.

Here's how to do it. Take your sample on Sunday or Monday afternoon or evening, and note the time and date as per the instructions. Store the swab in Pouch A at room temperature, and the blue-tipped device and pottle in Pouch B in the fridge. The next morning, package everything with the provided frozen ice block, and take it to Express Post on Monday or Tuesday morning. Hand the package over at the counter — don't use a post box.

A note: this method isn't recommended for clients in NT, WA, SA, TAS, or regional or rural locations, because the transit times are too long.

Ideally wait at least one month after finishing antibiotics or antimicrobials before collecting a sample. After a short course of broad-spectrum antibiotics — five to 10 days — most gut microbial species return to baseline within one to two months.

Some changes can persist for a year or more, and there's limited data on prolonged antibiotic use, where recovery is likely to take longer. One study showed recovery only after nine months following three months of amoxicillin.

So the one-month minimum is what we advise based on current research, with the understanding that full recovery may take longer in some cases.

We recommend collecting from your first bowel movement of the day, as this gives the most accurate result. Allow yourself around 45 minutes for the whole process — that way you can take your time, follow each step, and complete the sampling without rushing.

A small piece of toilet paper in the sample doesn't make it invalid. The sample can still be processed, and the results remain reliable.

Yes, if you live in a metropolitan area, you can collect your sample in the afternoon or evening. Here's what to do — collect on Sunday or Monday afternoon or evening, and record the date and time on the labels.

Store the swabs in Pouch A at room temperature, and the pottle and device in Pouch B in the fridge. Then post the package on Monday or Tuesday morning at the post office counter — not in a street post box.

This approach isn't suitable for regional or rural clients, because longer transit times put the sample outside its stability window.

Yes — a sample can be transferred from the colostomy bag into the pottle, just as you would emptying it into the toilet. That works perfectly well for processing the sample for microbiome analysis.

Antifungal use can influence the gut microbiome, though the evidence base is more limited than it is for antibiotics. Research suggests antifungals may alter bacterial composition, so to reduce interference we recommend waiting four weeks after completing antifungal treatment before collecting a sample.

Topical antifungals such as Nystatin — Nilstat or Mycostatin — are unlikely to impact results, since they aren't ingested and don't reach the digestive tract.

Enemas can affect both GI markers and the gut microbiome, so we recommend avoiding them before stool collection where possible — particularly when testing for faecal elastase. If an enema has been used, wait at least 24 to 48 hours before collecting a sample.

Why does this matter? Enemas can alter stool pH and elastase results, and surfactant or soap-based enemas may also affect the stability of other biomarkers. A short delay gives you a much cleaner picture.

Yes — we've tested and validated sample stability for international transit. We use monitored, temperature-controlled shipping with specialist providers who are trained to our specific requirements. That ensures samples arrive at our laboratories without compromising the analytes we're measuring.

Not at the moment. Microbiome Explorer isn't currently available in Guernsey or Jersey because samples need to reach our UK lab within 72 hours, and current logistics from the Channel Islands don't reliably support that. We are looking at ways to extend the stability period in future, so this may change.

It comes down to two things — operating hours and sample stability. Samples need to start processing within 72 hours of collection, and our lab operates Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm. Posting before 1pm Monday to Wednesday gives the postal service enough time to deliver within those hours and within that 72-hour window.

It's about biomarker stability. GI health markers are sensitive to time and temperature, so the 72-hour window is what we've validated to keep the analytes stable and your results accurate. We've tested these markers extensively under our specific return shipping conditions — using an ice block and insulated pouch — and 72 hours is where the data confidently sits.