• Digestive discomfort: bloating, gas, abdominal pain or irregular bowel movements.
• Chronic or intermittent diarrhoea: loose stools, urgency or bowel changes following travel or illness.
• IBS or IBD: gastrointestinal symptoms where microbiome patterns may be relevant.
• Food sensitivities: suspected dietary reactions with digestive or systemic presentations.
• Unexplained fatigue: tiredness that practitioners are assessing in relation to gut function.
• Joint discomfort: intermittent stiffness or aching sometimes noted with gut-related concerns.
• Recurrent infections: individuals with frequent immune challenges where gut ecology is under review.
• Nutritional deficiencies: suboptimal nutrient status potentially linked with malabsorption patterns.
• Mucosal barrier considerations: practitioners exploring possible disturbances in gut lining integrity.
• Fever, nausea or vomiting of unclear origin: where gastrointestinal pathogens are being considered.

Overview

The GI360 Essentials (2-day) test integrates multiplex PCR, culture, MALDI-TOF identification, microscopy and biochemical assays to assess stool samples for pathogenic organisms, parasites, viral targets and microbiome composition. By collecting samples across two separate days, this profile increases the likelihood of capturing intermittent microbial patterns while remaining more convenient than a 3-day format. Please note: the GI360 Complete includes a broader set of stool chemistry and functional markers, while Gi360 Essentials focuses on core microbiome, pathogens, parasites, and basic culture-based assessment

Clinically, the test may be useful when exploring digestive symptoms, suspected infections, microbiome imbalance or broader presentations that may relate to gut ecology. The two-day collection can provide additional insight into variability across days, helping practitioners observe more representative microbial patterns.

Practitioners typically interpret GI360 Essentials results alongside dietary intake, symptom history, lifestyle factors and other functional assessments. Used in this way, it can support discussions about digestive function, potential triggers and areas that may benefit from further exploration.

Practical

Practical

Specimen requirements:

Stool

2 day collection. The stool samples for this test must be collected on TWO separate days. It is preferable, but not necessary, to collect on consecutive days, but the final collection must be made within seven days of the first

Also available as 1 and 3 day collection

No Call / Inhibited
In certain circumstances, stool samples may not yield results for a limited section of viruses, pathogenic bacteria and parasites [known as : No Call / Inhibited]. Statistically this can affect approximately 6% of tests.
Many factors contribute to this issue including diet, medication, supplements, and competing DNA. Excessive calcium, tannic acid, bile salts, haemoglobin, melanin, collagen, urea, degradation products, complex polysaccharides and polyphenolic substances have also been found to cause inhibition.Test reports affected are not considered to be defective and thus are not eligible for cancellation or refunds.
Resubmission of the a supplementary sample to attempt analysis can be accommodated with billable costs limited to supply and return shipping.
By ordering this test, you accept the conditions and risks explained here.

Average processing time:

21 days

Available add-ons:

Zonulin add on for GI360

Age Considerations:

The PCR Microbiome section (only) may best be served for those ages 2 and above due to variations in the microbiome in ages 0-2.

Research

Research

• Aasbrenn M, Valeur J, Farup PG. Evaluation of a faecal dysbiosis test for irritable bowel syndrome in subjects with and without obesity. Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation. 2017;78(1-2):109-113. DOI: 10.1080/00365513.2017.1419372

• Andréasson K, Alrawi Z, Persson A, Jönsson G, Marsal J. Intestinal dysbiosis is common in systemic sclerosis and associated with gastrointestinal and extraintestinal features of disease. Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2016;18(1). DOI: 10.1186/s13075-016-1182-z

• Bennet SMP, Böhn L, Störsrud S, et al. Multivariate modelling of faecal bacterial profiles of patients with IBS predicts responsiveness to a diet low in FODMAPs. Gut. 2017;67(5):872-881. DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-313128

• Casén C, Vebø HC, Sekelja M, et al. Deviations in human gut microbiota: a novel diagnostic test for determining dysbiosis in patients with IBS or IBD. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2015;42(1):71-83. DOI: 10.1111/apt.13236

• Farup PG, Aasbrenn M, Valeur J. Separating “good” from “bad” faecal dysbiosis – evidence from two cross-sectional studies. BMC Obesity. 2018;5(1). DOI: 10.1186/s40608-018-0207-3

• Farup P, Valeur J. Faecal Microbial Markers and Psychobiological Disorders in Subjects with Morbid Obesity. A Cross-Sectional Study. Behavioral Sciences. 2018;8(10):89. DOI: 10.3390/bs8100089

• Magnusson MK, Strid H, Sapnara M, et al. Anti-TNF Therapy Response in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis Is Associated with Colonic Antimicrobial Peptide Expression and Microbiota Composition. Journal of Crohns and Colitis. 2016;10(8):943-952. DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjw051

• Magnusson MK, Strid H, Isaksson S, Simrén M, Öhman L. The Mucosal Antibacterial Response Profile and Fecal Microbiota Composition Are Linked to the Disease Course in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Ulcerative Colitis. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. 2017;23(6):956-966. DOI: 10.1097/mib.0000000000001130

• Mazzawi T, Lied GA, Sangnes DA, et al. The kinetics of gut microbial community composition in patients with irritable bowel syndrome following fecal microbiota transplantation. Plos One. 2018;13(11). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194904

• Olbjørn C, Småstuen MC, Thiis-Evensen E, et al. Fecal microbiota profiles in treatment-naïve pediatric inflammatory bowel disease – associations with disease phenotype, treatment, and outcome. Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology. 2019;Volume 12:37-49. DOI: 10.2147/ceg.s186235

• Thorkildsen LT, Nwosu FC, Avershina E, et al. Dominant Fecal Microbiota in Newly Diagnosed Untreated Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients. Gastroenterology Research and Practice. 2013;2013:1-13. DOI: 10.1155/2013/636785

• Valeur J, Småstuen MC, Knudsen T, Lied GA, Røseth AG. Exploring Gut Microbiota Composition as an Indicator of Clinical Response to Dietary FODMAP Restriction in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 2018;63(2):429-436. DOI: 10.1007/s10620-017-4893-3

• Vebø HC, Sekelja M, Nestestog R, et al. Temporal Development of the Infant Gut Microbiota in Immunoglobulin E-Sensitized and Nonsensitized Children Determined by the GA-Map Infant Array. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. 2011;18(8):1326-1335. DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00062-11