Sample collection for Microbiome Explorer - Extended

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.

Microba follows all applicable notifiable disease reporting requirements for the jurisdictions we operate in. In the UK, if a notifiable organism is detected, we notify the UK Health Security Agency and contact the local Health Protection Team as required. The ordering practitioner is also informed directly.

If you have questions about reporting obligations specific to your region, our laboratory team can help.

Unfortunately, we're unable to accept samples from the USA due to differing regulatory requirements. Under US regulations, laboratory-developed tests like ours are subject to oversight by the Food and Drug Administration, and the compliance requirements mean we're not currently in a position to offer the service to US-based clients.

Microbiome Explorer is available in New Zealand, but with limited access — only the Essentials test is offered. Extended and Comprehensive aren't available in NZ at this stage.

To access the test, you can work with an Australian healthcare practitioner for a referral, or House of Health in Auckland also stocks our kits. We know it's important for people in New Zealand to have access to testing, so this is something we keep under review.

No — Insight samples can no longer be processed. We know some customers still have kits on hand, but as we communicated to all customers, we're no longer able to accept Insight samples. If you'd like advice on our current testing options, do reach out and we'll guide you through them.

Yes — kits should be used before their printed expiry date, and we recommend returning them within a year of receiving them. While kits are stable for an extended period, using them within their expiry ensures the reagents and preservatives remain effective and the collected sample stays stable until testing.

Microbiome Explorer Essentials is a comprehensive gut microbiome profile for overall gut health. It uses advanced metagenomic analysis to assess over 28,000 microbial species, including bacteria, fungi, and protists.

Microbiome Explorer Extended builds on the Essentials test with added clinical insight. It combines full microbiome profiling with TGA and CE-certified gastrointestinal markers — faecal occult blood, lactoferrin, calprotectin, secretory IgA, pancreatic elastase, and zonulin family peptides.

Microbiome Explorer Comprehensive is our most advanced test. It includes everything in Microbiome Explorer Extended, plus TGA and CE-certified pathogen and parasite detection panels — giving you the deepest possible look into gut health, microbiome activity, inflammation, and infection.

MetaPanel is an in-house diagnostic stool test offered through Sonic Healthcare in Australia. It uses Microba's metagenomics platform and reports on 175 GI targets — including pathogens, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance genes. Results are reviewed by a pathologist, who also provides treatment recommendations.

Yes — all three product types are now available for purchase in the UK: Microbiome Explorer Essentials, Extended, and Comprehensive.

Microbiome Explorer doesn't directly test for H. pylori, though here's how it works in practice.

H. pylori will only show up if it's present at over 0.01% relative abundance. If a patient has an infection but it doesn't appear, it may be because the DNA has degraded and isn't detectable in stool. And because H. pylori mostly lives in the stomach lining — and we test the microbiome of the lower large intestine — it's uncommon to detect it in stool.

That said, if it is there in higher abundance, our metagenomics technology will typically find it. The gold standard for detection remains the Helicobacter breath test.

No — Microbiome Explorer doesn't test for SIBO, and we know that can be frustrating because SIBO is difficult to diagnose.

Here's why. SIBO means there are excessive — often gas-producing — colonic microbes in the small intestine. Microbiome Explorer looks at microbes in the distal colon, and we can't assume the microbes there are also present in the small intestine. The two environments are different.

If SIBO is suspected, patients should be referred for further testing. It's worth noting that there's currently no validated gold standard for SIBO testing across the field.

The Microbiome Explorer range is currently available in Australia and the United Kingdom.

In Australia, all three tests are available to practitioners — Essentials, Extended, and Comprehensive. In the UK, only the Comprehensive test is available, and it can be ordered by UK-based practitioners for UK clients.

For international referrals, you can refer the Essentials test to overseas clients from your practitioner portal. The Essentials swab doesn't contain a live sample and remains stable for up to six weeks at room temperature, so these kits can be shipped internationally and returned to our lab without issue. That makes Essentials the only suitable option for Australian practitioners referring clients outside Australia, including to the UK.

We know people around the world are interested in our services. At this stage, access is limited to patients within Australia and the UK, and testing must be organised through a qualified healthcare professional.

There are three levels of Microbiome Explorer testing, plus the MetaPanel test.

Microbiome Explorer Essentials gives you a comprehensive gut microbiome profile, assessing over 28,000 microbial species — bacteria, fungi, and protists.

Microbiome Explorer Extended includes everything in Essentials, plus TGA and CE-certified gastrointestinal markers — faecal occult blood, lactoferrin, calprotectin, secretory IgA, pancreatic elastase, and zonulin family peptides.

Microbiome Explorer Comprehensive is the most advanced option. It includes all the GI markers plus TGA and CE-certified pathogen and parasite detection panels, for a deep dive into gut health, functional microbiome activity, inflammation, and infectious organisms.

MetaPanel is a separate in-house diagnostic test available through Sonic Healthcare in Australia. It reports on 175 GI targets — including pathogens, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance genes — with results reviewed by a pathologist.

There are plans to expand into other areas in future. We recognise the great potential of NGS technology beyond stool microbiome testing, and you'll be the first to know of any changes to the test portfolio as they're introduced.

Microbiome Explorer Comprehensive is currently available in Australia and the United Kingdom. In both regions, our services are accessed through qualified healthcare professionals.

We're expecting Microbiome Explorer to be available in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during 2026.