2018 · Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · open access
Comparison of Fecal Collection Methods for Microbiome and Metabolomics Studies
Wang et al.
The finding, in our words
FTA cards and OMNIgene GUT demonstrated strong concordance with immediate freezing for gut microbiome diversity and short-chain fatty acid measurements, while ethanol preserved the most metabolites overall. These stabilised collection methods enable reliable, decentralised stool sampling for large-scale microbiome and metabolomics studies.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
Comparison of six stool collection methods in healthy volunteers found OMNIgene Gut, FOBT cards, RNAlater and Microlution were reliable for metagenomics, whereas 95% ethanol best preserved metabolite profiles; the authors recommend using separate collection methods for different analytical aims in large population studies.
This study compared OMNIgene Gut tubes and FTA cards for stool collection in a deployed setting, finding that OMNIgene yielded higher nucleic acid concentrations while both methods detected the majority of microbial genera. The authors conclude that distinct microbial abundance profiles between the two methods necessitate standardised protocols for field research.
This study compared two preservatives for stool samples and found that OMNIgene GUT OMR-200 produced less variation in metagenomic taxonomic data across different storage temperatures, supporting its use in decentralised field studies. The authors recommend absolute quantification to address bias in microbial measurements.
In children, stool preserved in OMNIgene-GUT kept its microbial community structure better than unpreserved stool, with alpha and beta diversity similar to direct freezing, which supports the kit for decentralised stool collection from children.
A study found that stool stabilised in 95% ethanol or OMNImet•GUT and OMNIgene•GUT kits maintained metabolome and microbiome profiles comparable to flash freezing for up to seven days at room temperature. Non-stabilised samples showed temperature-dependent changes in bile and short-chain fatty acids, supporting decentralised, patient-centric ambient collection.