The Library

1530 papers on microsampling and monitoring, each with a finding paraphrased to our standard and labelled in one vocabulary. Every entry links to a legitimate copy; nothing is copied from an abstract.

59 papers labelled “microbiome”, newest first.

2026
Participants preferred the Omnigene and Zymo oral swabs for comfort and ease of use, whilst the Omnigene device yielded the highest median bacterial DNA concentration compared to the other devices. The results indicate that the choice of self-collection device impacts both patient acceptability and DNA yield for oral microbiome analysis.
Comparison of self-collected oral swabs for supragingival microbiome characterization using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing — Rooney et al., Journal of microbiological methods (paywalled)
- acceptability
- stabilised
- self-collection
- microbiome
- saliva
2026
Saliva samples collected using the OMNIgene ORAL device and oral wash samples remain stable for microbiome diversity and relative abundance analyses for up to five years when stored at -80°C. This supports the use of these self-collection methods for long-term prospective biobanking and decentralised clinical studies.
Long-term stability at -80°C of oral wash and saliva samples for microbiome analyses — Slack et al., Microbiology spectrum (paywalled)
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- self-collection
- microbiome
- liquid
- validation
- saliva
2026
A study limited by sample size found OMNIgene GUT tubes preserved Cryptosporidium DNA better than DNA Shield and FTA cards after year-long ambient storage. qPCR detected DNA in 23/24 OMNIgene, 21/24 DNA Shield, and 17/20 FTA samples, while metagenomics detected it in 13/24, 9/24, and 0/24 samples respectively, guiding decentralised sampling choices.
Detection of Cryptosporidium hominis by clinical metagenomics in stool samples from an outbreak of diarrhoea among British military personnel in Kenya — Halford et al., BMJ military health (paywalled)
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- serology
- microbiome
- stool
2026
In a small proof-of-concept, first-void urine and cervicovaginal brushes yielded high-quality vaginal microbiome profiles in most participants, comparable to vaginal swabs, offering non-invasive, user-friendly alternatives for research; however, storage at room temperature altered microbial composition in some first-void urine samples, indicating a need for careful handling.
First-void urine and cervicovaginal brushes for vaginal microbiome profiling: a proof-of-concept study — Pinedo-Bardales et al., Microbiology spectrum (paywalled)
- first-void
- self-collection
- microbiome
- hpv
- urine
2026
Analysis of self-collected stool samples from 309 participants demonstrated that proton pump inhibitor use is significantly associated with an enrichment of Streptococcus species in the gut. This confirms the suitability of decentralised self-sampling for conducting large-scale metagenomic analyses in population studies.
Gut Microbial Variations Associated With Proton Pump Inhibitor Use in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study — Dinesh et al., Pharmacology research & perspectives
- stool
- self-collection
- microbiome
2026
The study demonstrated the feasibility of a fully decentralised design by successfully recruiting 37 participants and completing follow-up for self-collected stool samples without requiring on-site visits.
Perioperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Cesarean Section and the Maternal Gut Microbiome: Protocol for a Remote Observational Cohort Study — Feles & Mattner, JMIR research protocols
- stool
- self-collection
- dct
- microbiome
2026
This pilot study found that mailing self-collection kits to endometrial cancer survivors was feasible and acceptable, whilst also observing that chemotherapy or radiation reduced beneficial vaginal bacteria compared to surgery alone.
Stool and vaginal microbiome profiles patterns among Black and White endometrial cancer survivors: A pilot study in North Carolina — Jin et al., PloS one
- stool
- self-collection
- acceptability
- microbiome
2025
Taxonomic and diversity profiles differed between unstabilised swabs and stabilised OmniGene kits, with transport time disproportionately affecting swab samples; the collection method had a greater impact on taxa and diversity than transport time, highlighting the need for standardised stool collection in decentralised microbiome studies.
Stabilized and unstabilized sampling methods result in differential fecal 16S rRNA microbial sequencing results — Stamper et al., PloS one
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- self-collection
- microbiome
- stool
2025
In a one-week virtual home clinic with 134 participants, 86 per cent returned saliva and 84 per cent returned stool, and most components were feasible and acceptable despite device and logistical challenges. This supports decentralised, patient-centric self-collection of non-blood biospecimens for research.
Collecting at-Home Biometric Measures for Longitudinal Research From the i3C: Feasibility and Acceptability Study — Russell et al., JMIR human factors
- saliva
- stool
- self-collection
- acceptability
- dct
- microbiome
2025
The study found significant gut microbiota alterations in systemic lupus erythematosus patients, with different beta diversity, p=0.001, and shifts in phyla abundance compared to controls. Specific microbial profiles were associated with clinical subgroups, though the authors note the clinical relevance of species-level alterations requires further validation.
Association of Gut Dysbiosis with Disease Phenotype and Treatment in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus — Medina-Martínez et al., Medical sciences
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
2025
Self-collected oral and stool samples revealed distinct microbiome compositions in patients with endometriosis compared to controls, with Fusobacterium enrichment specifically observed in oral samples from moderate to severe cases. These results support the feasibility of decentralised self-collection for non-invasive biomarker screening in reproductive health.
Oral, Vaginal, and Stool Microbial Signatures in Patients With Endometriosis as Potential Diagnostic Non-Invasive Biomarkers: A Prospective Cohort Study — Hicks et al., BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
- self-collection
- microbiome
- fertility
- stool
- saliva
- biomarkers
2025
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.
Comparing the Metagenomic Performance of Stools Collected from Custom Cards and 95% Ethanol in Epidemiologic Studies — 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)
- stool
- dried
- self-collection
- validation
- microbiome
- colorectal
2025
This study found that a decontamination pipeline using metagenome-assembled genomes improves the accuracy of variant calling from saliva samples, showing superior concordance with blood-derived results compared to conventional methods. These results validate the potential of self-collected oral samples for accurate personal genotyping.
Metagenome-assembled genomes enhance bacterial read decontamination and variant calling in oral samples — An et al., iScience
- venous-agreement
- blood
- microbiome
- validation
- saliva
- genotyping
2025
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.
Field expedient stool collection methods for gut microbiome analysis in deployed military environments — Kok et al., mSphere
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- dried
- microbiome
- stool
- validation
2024
An analysis of 88 individuals aged 7 to 18 years found that stimulated saliva collection detected disease-associated microbiome taxa that unstimulated sampling missed. The authors note that sampling protocols must be standardised before results can be compared across decentralised studies.
Saliva sampling method influences oral microbiome composition and taxa associated with oral diseases — Roca et al., PLoS ONE
- microbiome
- pediatric
- liquid
- validation
- saliva
2024
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.
Quantifying bias introduced by sample collection in relative and absolute microbiome measurements — Maghini et al., Nature biotechnology (paywalled)
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
2024
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.
Omnigene-Guttm ensures fecal microbiome stability in the pediatric population — Hoogendijk et al., AMB Express
- dct
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
- pediatric
- stool
- validation
2024
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.
Engaging adolescents in research: Home self-collection of biological samples and health questionnaires — Leung et al., Research in nursing & health (paywalled)
- acceptability
- self-collection
- microbiome
- pediatric
- stool
- saliva
2024
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.
Comparative Metabolomics and Microbiome Analysis of Ethanol versus OMNImet/gene•GUT Fecal Stabilization — Isokääntä et al., Analytical chemistry
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
- metabolome
2024
In subfertile women, urinary microbiota profiles correlated strongly with vaginal profiles but contained fewer species, indicating that vaginal sampling is preferable for predicting fertility treatment outcomes.
Clinical Applicability of Microbiota Sampling in a Subfertile Population: Urine versus Vagina — Koedooder et al., Microorganisms
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- microbiome
2023
Across 18 saliva samples, mouthwash collection gave higher alpha diversity than passive drooling on both Illumina and Nanopore platforms, and three preservation methods performed alike; mouthwash and simple collection are convenient decentralised options, provided a study keeps one collection method for all participants to avoid confounding.
Factors influencing oral microbiome analysis: from saliva sampling to sequencing platforms — Bang et al., Scientific Reports
- stabilised
- microbiome
- liquid
- validation
- saliva
2023
The study compared two stool collection devices and found that GutAlive maintained bacterial viability and DNA integrity over time, preserving the original microbiome composition and diversity, which supports its use for decentralised self-collection in microbiome diagnostics.
GutAlive® enables DNA-based microbiome analysis without disrupting the original composition and diversity — Montero et al., Frontiers in microbiology
- stabilised
- self-collection
- microbiome
- stool
2023
Stool from two volunteers showed different microbiome profiles between the outer cortex and the inner core, and homogenising then stabilising at 4°C for 24 hours preserved diversity better than fresh or frozen processing; a possible route to home stool collection, though only two people were sampled.
Accelerating Gut Microbiome Research with Robust Sample Collection — Zreloff et al., Research & reviews. Journal of microbiology and biotechnology
- stool
- stabilised
- microbiome
2023
The study found that minimally invasive self-sampling at home was acceptable to most families, with saliva and hand sampling well tolerated across all ages and nasal sampling mainly accepted by adults and children over five. This supports the use of decentralised, patient-centric microsampling for long-term community surveillance of microbiota.
Assessing the use of minimally invasive self-sampling at home for long-term monitoring of the microbiota within UK families — Nikolaou et al., Scientific reports
- saliva
- self-collection
- acceptability
- pediatric
- microbiome
2023
Fecal and oral microbiome samples showed high stability over two years at -80°C, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.70–0.99 for stool and above 0.74 for saliva across most collection methods. Stool collected without additive and saliva collected with Scope mouthwash showed lower stability for some measures, demonstrating that collection method choice affects reliability of stored samples for microbiome analysis in decentralised diagnostics.
Stability of the Fecal and Oral Microbiome over 2 Years at -80°C for Multiple Collection Methods — Zouiouich et al., Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology (paywalled)
- saliva
- stool
- stabilised
- validation
- microbiome
2023
Stool samples collected in DNA/RNA Shield tubes showed better preservation of microbiome taxonomic composition and functional stability over 18 months than OMNIgene-Gut tubes. This demonstrates that ambient stabilisation enables reliable decentralised microbiome collection and long-term storage before analysis.
Long-term taxonomic and functional stability of the gut microbiome from human fecal samples — Kim et al., Scientific reports
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- microbiome
2022
A dissolvable wipe with DESS solution captured stool for metagenomics with high species-level agreement to frozen storage, R2 0.96, preserved Shannon diversity and species richness, and performed comparably to a commercial preservation kit, R2 0.98, enabling stable room temperature collection and transport for decentralised sampling.
A Wipe-Based Stool Collection and Preservation Kit for Microbiome Community Profiling — Hua et al., Frontiers in immunology
- stabilised
- self-collection
- microbiome
- stool
- validation
2022
Women with chlamydial infection show reduced microbial diversity in first-void urine, with depletion of Mycoplasmataceae and Ureaplasma parvum and elevated hippurate and lactulose. This demonstrates that urine microbiome and metabolome analysis can reveal infection signatures, supporting decentralised STI screening approaches.
First-Void Urine Microbiome in Women with Chlamydia trachomatis Infection — Gaspari et al., International journal of molecular sciences
- urine
- first-void
- microbiome
- metabolome
- sti
2022
In 50 prostate cancer patients, first‑void urine collection captured bacteria more frequently than midstream sampling (87.8% versus 75.3% of specimens), and radiotherapy caused a temporary reduction in urinary microbiome species richness. These findings validate first‑void sampling for decentralised microbiome monitoring in oncology.
A New Approach to Imaging and Rapid Microbiome Identification for Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy — Maślak et al., Biomedicines
- urine
- first-void
- microbiome
2021
A study found that fecal samples on FOBT cards and RNAlater, and oral samples in Scope mouthwash, remained stable for four days at room temperature, with fecal comparability ICCs ranging from 0.63 to 0.93. These methods support decentralised sampling, though consistent method choice is required as each may introduce modest differences.
Comparison of fecal and oral collection methods for studies of the human microbiota in two Iranian cohorts — Wu et al., BMC microbiology
- saliva
- stool
- stabilised
- microbiome
2021
Alpha diversity metrics and relative abundances of major bacterial phyla remained stable across storage at 4 °C for up to 96 h, with the greatest compositional change occurring in the first 24 h; inter-individual differences outweighed storage effects, supporting robust decentralised self-collection of stool for microbiome analysis.
Assessing the impact of storage time on the stability of stool microbiota richness, diversity, and composition — Holzhausen et al., Gut pathogens
- self-collection
- microbiome
- stool
- validation
2021
DNA extraction methods explained 5.7% of microbiome variability, nearly as much as interindividual differences (7.4%), while collection methods had minimal impact. The choice of kit significantly skewed recovery of Gram-positive bacteria and enterotype distribution, underscoring the need for standardisation in decentralised stool sampling for clinical research.
Quantifying technical confounders in microbiome studies — Bartolomaeus et al., Cardiovascular research (paywalled)
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- microbiome
2021
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.
Comparison of Fecal Collection Methods on Variation in Gut Metagenomics and Untargeted Metabolomics — Guan et al., mSphere
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- microbiome
- metabolome
2021
Shotgun metagenomics showed the Copan FLOQSwab in an active drying tube had the best technical and compositional reproducibility among five room temperature methods, outperforming RNALater and OMNIgene-GUT, while LifeGuard and a dry BBL swab allowed unpredictable Escherichia outgrowth; in a further 239-sample evaluation the FLOQSwab-ADT maintained performance across -20 °C, room temperature and 50 °C for four weeks, making it an excellent alternative to existing room temperature stabilisation for stool microbiome diagnostics.
Critical evaluation of faecal microbiome preservation using metagenomic analysis — Pribyl et al., ISME communications
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- microbiome
2020
A multi-institution workshop made the case for a characterised whole-stool reference material so microbiome measurements can be standardised across labs, addressing the absence of defined faecal inputs.
Toward a human whole-stool reference material for metabolomic and metagenomic gut-microbiome measurements — Mandal et al., Metabolomics
- standardised-input
- metabolome
- standards
- microbiome
- metagenomics
- stool
- validation
2020
A study of three children found that the region of stool sampled did not change microbial alpha diversity, while 22 of 176 metabolites varied; homogenising the stool mattered for metabolomics and short room-temperature storage had little effect, which supports simpler home collection protocols within the limits of so small a study.
Impact of sampling regions and storage methods on fecal gut microbiome and metabolome profiles — Liang et al., mSphere
- standardised-input
- metabolome
- microbiome
- pediatric
- stool
- validation
2020
The study found that the OMNIgene ORAL kit produced different microbiome profiles compared to some alternative oral collection methods, particularly Saccomanno's fixative. This matters for decentralised sampling as it shows the choice of a standardised, stabilised collection method is critical for reliable results in remote studies of the oral microbiome.
Comparison of Oral Microbiota Collected Using Multiple Methods and Recommendations for New Epidemiologic Studies — Yano et al., mSystems
- stabilised
- microbiome
- validation
- saliva
2020
Microbiome profiles remained stable in OMNIgene GUT for 21 days at room temperature and metabolite abundance relationships were preserved, though absolute abundances varied slightly. This supports using a single stool collection procedure with OMNIgene GUT to obtain both microbiome and metabolome data for decentralised diagnostics.
Changes in microbiome and metabolomic profiles of fecal samples stored with stabilizing solution at room temperature: a pilot study — Lim et al., Scientific reports
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
- metabolome
2020
Among 196 women providing first-void urine, bacterial vaginosis correlated with Gardnerella biofilms on vaginal cells (88–90% of cases) and inversely with Lactobacillus biofilms. This confirms bacterial growth form as a diagnostic marker for vaginal dysbiosis, though no association was found with UTI symptoms, HIV status, or discharge.
Growth Forms of Gardnerella spp. and Lactobacillus spp. on Vaginal Cells — Jung et al., Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology
- urine
- first-void
- microbiome
2020
Stock solutions including OMNIgene-Gut maintained stable gut microbial profiles in stool for up to two months at room temperature, supporting their use over freezing for decentralised gut microbiome analysis.
Performance comparison of fecal preservative and stock solutions for gut microbiome storage at room temperature — Park et al., Journal of microbiology (paywalled)
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
2020
The authors validated an automated DNA extraction method for stool microbiome analysis and found that seven stabilising solutions, including OMNIgene•GUT, RNAlater and AquaStool, preserved microbiome composition as well as snap-freezing. OMNIgene•GUT maintained sample integrity for two years at -80°C. This supports decentralised stool collection for microbiome studies by enabling ambient stabilisation and delayed laboratory processing.
Method Validation for Extraction of DNA from Human Stool Samples for Downstream Microbiome Analysis — Neuberger-Castillo et al., Biopreservation and biobanking (paywalled)
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- microbiome
2019
Stool stabilised in OMNIgene·GUT then frozen produced 16S and shotgun profiles statistically indistinguishable from fresh-frozen aliquots, supporting stabilised collection where freezing is impractical.
Gut microbiome comparability of fresh-frozen versus stabilised-frozen samples by 16S and shotgun metagenomics — Ilett et al., Scientific Reports
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
- metagenomics
- validation
2019
An analysis of self-collected stool samples from 1,674 adults aged 18 to 74 found that migration and environmental factors shape the gut microbiome, with lower bacterial diversity linked to obesity. While this cross-sectional design limits causal inference, it shows the viability of decentralised sample collection for large-scale epidemiological studies.
Gut microbiome composition in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos is shaped by geographic relocation, environmental factors, and obesity — Kaplan et al., Genome biology
- stool
- self-collection
- microbiome
2019
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.
Gut microbiome analysis by post: Evaluation of the optimal method to collect stool samples from infants within a national cohort study — Williams et al., PloS one
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- self-collection
- validation
- pediatric
- microbiome
2019
Oral rinse samples collected in Scope mouthwash remained stable at ambient temperature for four days, with high intraclass correlation for microbial diversity (Shannon index ICC 0.86), supporting their use in decentralised microbiome studies. However, comparability with OMNIgene ORAL samples was low, suggesting collection methods should not be mixed within a study.
Comparison of Oral Collection Methods for Studies of Microbiota — Vogtmann et al., Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology (paywalled)
- saliva
- stabilised
- validation
- microbiome
2018
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.
Comparison of Fecal Collection Methods for Microbiome and Metabolomics Studies — Wang et al., Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- microbiome
- metabolome
2018
Oral microbiota alpha diversity remained stable over 10 months of self-collected samples (intraclass correlation 0.74–0.79), though relative abundance of specific taxa varied more. These stability estimates allow proper power calculations for decentralised epidemiologic studies using oral microsampling.
Temporal Variability of Oral Microbiota over 10 Months and the Implications for Future Epidemiologic Studies — Vogtmann et al., Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology (paywalled)
- saliva
- stabilised
- microbiome
2018
The OMNIgene•GUT kit proved reliable for stool microsampling and ambient storage, with samples stored at room temperature for seven days showing comparable bacterial DNA quantity and diversity to fresh samples; transient phylum-level differences were seen at 24 hours but not at seven days. This supports decentralised, patient-centric microbiome research by enabling home self-collection and postal transport, while emphasising that DNA extraction method has greater impact on microbiome profiles than storage conditions.
Reliability of a participant-friendly fecal collection method for microbiome analyses: a step towards large sample size investigation — Szopinska et al., BMC microbiology
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- self-collection
- validation
- microbiome
2017
Expressing taxa as cells per gram of stool showed faecal microbial load varies ~10-fold between healthy people and drives apparent compositional differences: relative-abundance data alone can misrepresent quantitative change.
Quantitative microbiome profiling links gut community variation to microbial load — Vandeputte et al., Nature (paywalled)
- stool
- microbiome
- standardised-input
- validation
2017
Gammaproteobacteria proliferate in stool samples shipped at room temperature, distorting microbiome profiles. A computational correction method that removes sequences from these blooming taxa enables reliable microbiome analysis from self-collected samples sent without cold chain, producing results comparable to frozen specimens.
Correcting for Microbial Blooms in Fecal Samples during Room-Temperature Shipping — Amir et al., mSystems
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- self-collection
- validation
- microbiome
2017
In a community-based cohort of elderly men, remote stool self-collection using the OMNIgene·GUT kit achieved high participation and sample adequacy, with mailed samples yielding high-quality DNA for microbiome profiling; this supports decentralised, patient-centric stool sampling for large-scale research.
Successful collection of stool samples for microbiome analyses from a large community-based population of elderly men — Abrahamson et al., Contemporary clinical trials communications
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- self-collection
- acceptability
- microbiome
2016
Testing 15 individuals and over 1,200 samples, this study found that 95% ethanol, FTA cards, and the OMNIgene Gut kit maintain stool microbiome stability at ambient temperatures for eight weeks. This enables robust decentralised sampling, though sponsors must use a single method to prevent batch effects and avoid 70% ethanol.
Preservation Methods Differ in Fecal Microbiome Stability, Affecting Suitability for Field Studies — Song et al., mSystems
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
2016
The study found that ambient temperature collection and stabilisation of stool using the DNA Genotek OMNIgene·Gut device yielded the same data reproducibility as freezing and higher recovery of nucleic acids, enabling standardised global collection and analysis for microbiome studies.
A robust ambient temperature collection and stabilization strategy: Enabling worldwide functional studies of the human microbiome — Anderson et al., Scientific reports
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- microbiome
- stool
- validation
2016
OMNIgene GUT vials improved stool DNA quality by reducing shearing, but storage for one week altered microbiota composition in pooled infant and elderly data, with infant samples more affected. For decentralised collection, extraction within the first week and a consistent storage regime are advisable.
Effect of room temperature transport vials on DNA quality and phylogenetic composition of faecal microbiota of elderly adults and infants — Hill et al., Microbiome
- stool
- stabilised
- dna-genotek-omnigene
- validation
- pediatric
- microbiome
2016
Saliva microbiomes stored in OMNIgene medium remained stable for at least one week at room temperature. Dental plaque collected by scaler or CytoSoft brush showed minimal taxonomic differences, while plaque stored in OMNIgene exhibited higher diversity and greater similarity between samples than plaque in liquid transport medium. These results inform ambient stabilisation protocols for decentralised oral microbiome collection.
Effects of Specimen Collection Methodologies and Storage Conditions on the Short-Term Stability of Oral Microbiome Taxonomy — Luo et al., Applied and environmental microbiology (paywalled)
- saliva
- stabilised
- pediatric
- microbiome
2015
The Powermicrobiome Kit yielded the best RNA from stool, and RNA Later preserved mRNA integrity for six days at room temperature, though it introduced taxonomic and functional bias. RNA Protect was unsuitable beyond 24 hours. These findings support decentralised stool collection for metatranscriptomics but highlight the need to account for stabilisation reagent effects.
Stool metatranscriptomics: A technical guideline for mRNA stabilisation and isolation — Reck et al., BMC genomics
- stool
- stabilised
- validation
- microbiome
2014
Mailed at-home stool self-collection was feasible: ~20% of those approached enrolled and ~80% of those returned a usable specimen: workable, but recruitment depends on active, well-timed follow-up.
Feasibility of self-collection of fecal specimens by randomly sampled women for gut-microbiome studies — Feigelson et al., BMC Research Notes
- self-collection
- microbiome
- stool
- urine
- validation
2014
This study validated self-collected stool and saliva for microbiome profiling, finding that microbial species and gene abundances were highly concordant across different preservation methods including freezing, ethanol, and RNAlater. These results support the feasibility of decentralised sampling for functional gut microbiota research.
Relating the metatranscriptome and metagenome of the human gut — Franzosa et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (paywalled)
- multimodal
- self-collection
- microbiome
- stool
- validation
- saliva
- multi-omics
2014
First-void urine self-collection detected bacterial vaginosis with sensitivity comparable to vaginal swabs when analysed by quantitative PCR for seven key vaginal bacteria. This supports decentralised screening for BV and sexually transmitted infections using patient-collected samples.
Characterization of the vaginal microflora in health and disease — Datcu, Danish medical journal (paywalled)
- urine
- first-void
- self-collection
- microbiome
- sti

Read from the corpus on 2026-09-09.