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Microbiome Explorer

Full microbiome mapping with results and insights you can trust - designed to evaluate a range of systemic health issues.

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Resolving complex GI symptoms,  with easy-to-use clinical guidance powered by the latest microbiome science.

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Our Products

Name: Microbiome Explorer
Rating: 4.8 (74 reviews)

Confident care with clinical-grade microbiome testing - backed by evidence from 1500+ peer-reviewed studies.

Microbiome Explorer

Full microbiome mapping with results and insights you can trust - designed to evaluate a range of systemic health issues.

Coming Soon

Resolve complex GI symptoms,  with easy-to-use clinical guidance powered by the latest microbiome science.

Why Microba

Better science exists.
Your patients deserve it.

Not all metagenomic tests are created equal. Imposters make critical errors that can harm care.

While other labs might claim that they use the “same technology”, the implementation and rigor between tests differ wildly.

Read Full Article

Seeking out specific species in a test is like missing the wood for the trees.

The links between any specific species and their affect on health is complicated and nuanced. Has your understanding of the microbiome kept up?

Read Full Article

Outdated microbiome tests only show you the tip of the iceberg.

One sample, one test - all the data you need to see the full picture.

Article Coming Soon

Targeting specific species for treatment is like pulling the wrong Jenga block.

Once you understand the entire Microbiome, it becomes clear that the key to Microbiome health is carefully restoring the delicate balance of the whole ecosystem. The focus becomes feed, feed, feed - not weed, seed, feed.

Article Coming Soon

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Related FAQs

Find answers to the questions we hear most often. From our technology and products to accreditation, partnerships and the future of Microba.

Can I still send my Insight sample back?

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.

What is Microbiome Explorer Essentials?

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.

Do Microba Microbiome Explorer kits have an expiry date?

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.

What is Microbiome Explorer Comprehensive?

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.

What is Microbiome Explorer Extended?

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.

Are other products in the Microbiome Explorer range available in the UK?

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

Does Microbiome Explorer test for SIBO?

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.

Does Microbiome Explorer test for H. pylori?

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.

Are Microba Microbiome Explorer services available outside Australia?

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.

What are the different types of kits available?

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.

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Microbiome Explorer

Coming Soon

Microbiome Explorer

Coming Soon

Better science exists. Your patients deserve it.

Not all metagenomic tests are created equal. Imposters make critical errors that can harm care.

Seeking out specific species in a test is like missing the wood for the trees.

Outdated microbiome tests only show you the tip of the iceberg.

Targeting specific species for treatment is like pulling the wrong Jenga block.

Related FAQs

Better science exists.
Your patients deserve it.