Human Gut Microbiome Composition: A Comparison of Two Stool Sampling Methods

The human gut microbiome is made of different types of bacteria that play an important role in human health, and these bacteria are studied using stool samples. The purpose of this project was to compare two different stool sampling methods: bulk stool sample collection (gold standard), and stool collection cards (FTA cards). This research is important because stool collection with FTA cards is easier for research participants, and FTA cards can be stored at room temperature and mailed to researchers. Therefore, this method would make participation in microbiome research easier, for example, for people living in remote areas. It is important to determine if the two methods will generate the same data. Seven stool samples were collected from volunteers using both sampling methods and bacterial abundances are being compared. If the results are similar between the two methods, it would create opportunities for microbiome research to be more inclusive.