Evaluating stool microbiome integrity after domestic freezer storage using whole-metagenome sequencing, genome assembly, and antimicrobial resistance gene analysis
Momo Cabrera et al.
The finding, in our words
Stool samples from children under four years stored in domestic freezers at -18°C for up to six months showed no significant degradation in microbial composition, contig assembly quality or antimicrobial resistance gene profiles. This demonstrates that domestic freezer storage preserves stool microbiome integrity, enabling decentralised, patient-centric collection for large-scale studies.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
This study compared four stool collection methods for infant gut microbiome analysis via post and found that the OMNIgene•GUT kit showed the closest agreement with the frozen standard compared to swabs or plain tubes. The findings suggest that stabilised collection offers a viable decentralised solution for parents to sample infant stool at home with minimal DNA degradation.
This study found that stool samples self-collected on cards showed high correlation and agreement with ethanol-fixed samples for metagenomic sequencing, with negligible differences in microbial diversity. The results support the use of stool cards as a cost-effective alternative for decentralised sampling in epidemiologic studies, despite minor variations in individual species abundance.
Kuntz et al., Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology (paywalled) · source ↗
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.
In a cross-sectional study of 90 adolescents, 94 per cent provided at least one salivary sample and 89 per cent supplied a stool sample, with high adherence to study instructions, indicating that self-collection of these biospecimens is feasible and acceptable in this age group.
Leung et al., Research in nursing & health (paywalled) · source ↗
This pilot study of 15 subjects demonstrated that dried fecal spots on quantitative DBS devices yielded bile acid profiles equivalent to frozen samples after four months of ambient storage and shipping. This validates a decentralised stool microsampling method that could enable patient home testing and expand screening in rural or resource-limited settings.
Engevik et al., American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology (paywalled) · source ↗