You will need a current referral from a health professional who is registered to refer Co-Biome’s MetaXplore range of whole microbiome testing kits.
Your health professional can sign up at co-biome.com/register for access to the practitioner portal, or if you email info@co-biome.com we can suggest health professionals who already use our testing.
Once you have received your email with a purchase link, please follow the prompts to complete the purchase.
You will need a current referral from a health professional using Microba’s Co-Biome sampling kits to be able to purchase a kit. The sampling kits cannot be ordered directly from Co-Biome without a health professional referral placed through their Co-Biome health professional portal.
Once you have received your referral email with a purchase link from your health professional, please follow the prompts to complete the purchase.
Select the drop-down arrow next to “Show order summary”.
Then you will see the area to input and apply your “Discount code”.
Once you have requested your kit, your microbiome sampling kit will be dispatched as soon as possible.
We dispatch twice a week, with delivery taking approximately 2-4 business days.
Kits will be shipped by Express Post via Australia Post from our headquarters in Brisbane QLD Australia.
For Australian health professionals, we can ship the MetaXplore sampling kit (but not MetaXplore GI or GI plus) overseas to their patients in some countries.
Please note that while shipping to the patient is included, the return postage of the sample to Australia is not.
We currently only support requesting one report per individual at a time.
In order to receive multiple tests, you must submit an individual request for each family member.
If you are using MetaXplore GI or MetaXplore GI plus, please avoid alcohol for a minimum of 2 days prior to collection.
No dietary restriction is required. It is best to collect a sample at a time when you have maintained your **regular daily habits and diet for at least two weeks prior** to sampling. This is because changes to your normal habits such as overseas travel, short-term use of supplements, changes to exercise habits and eating new foods can impact your gut microbiome.
We recommend maintaining your normal supplement and probiotic regime for two weeks prior to sampling, unless you have been advised to discontinue them by your healthcare professional.
Always consult with your healthcare professional before making any changes to prescribed probiotics or supplements and do not discontinue any medications without their advice.
Please collect a sample from a bowel movement that is typical for you.
Antibiotics and antimicrobial supplements can disrupt the microorganisms in your gut microbiome.
We recommend waiting four weeks or longer after ceasing your supplement or antibiotic course before taking your sample.
We suggest that you avoid completing your sample during your menstruation period to avoid contamination of your sample. Please wait for 3 days after your period has ended before collecting a sample.
If this is not possible, please use a device such as a tampon and clean the area thoroughly before collecting your sample. Also advise your practitioner, as we do test for the presence of blood in the MetaXplore™ GI and GI Plus sampling kits.
Yes, you can provide a sample with visible blood, though it’s preferred to wait until bleeding resolves.
Visible blood may result in a positive faecal occult blood reading. Confirm with your practitioner to ensure proper interpretation.
It is better to take a sample when you have not been taking NSAIDs in the few days prior.
You can still send a sample if you have been taking NSAIDs, but this will impact the level of calprotectin reported.
Please advise your healthcare professional so this can be considered in the report interpretation.
If you want to see your gut microbiome without the effect of the colon cleanse, wait for at least two weeks before sampling. Research has shown that colon cleanses, including those used before a colonoscopy, will reduce the population of bacteria in the colon, and some species will be reduced more than others. A recent study showed that the gut microbiome takes up to 14 days to recover after a colon cleanse.
Please wait at least 2 weeks after your last colonoscopy, colon cleanse or enema before collecting your sample.
It is ok if you usually use laxatives and need to use them to collect your sample.
Yes, you can still send a liquid stool sample for analysis. However, a liquid stool sample may impact result accuracy which will be noted on your report.
If you are using MetaXplore GI or MetaXplore GI plus, then **your sample should be collected and posted on a Monday or Tuesday** only. Do not collect your sample on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday as we do not want the sample to be delayed by staying in the post over the weekend.
If you are having difficulty collecting a sample and posting it on Monday or Tuesday, you may wish to collect the sample on Sunday evening or Monday evening and then post it the next morning, however there is an increased risk of sample failure due to exceeding the time limit to reach the laboratory. Please only collect on the same day as you are posting the sample if you are located in WA.
If you are using MetaXplore™ (swab only), then your sample can be posted any weekday, although we do suggest not leaving your sample in a post box over the weekend.
If you have several bowel movements per day the sample should, if possible, be collected during the first bowel movement.
It is best to collect a sample at a time when you have maintained your regular daily habits and diet for at least two weeks prior to sampling. This is because changes to your normal habits such as overseas travel, short-term use of supplements, changes to exercise habits and eating new foods can impact your gut microbiome. It is also important to try and collect a sample from a bowel movement that is typical for you.
If you would like to see what your ‘normal’ gut microbiome looks like, stick to your normal habits for at least two weeks prior to sampling.
The microorganisms inhabiting your gut are quite stable over time (in the absence of any major disruptions) and it is only their abundance that will change based on your diet and other habits.
Please use your Co-Biome MetaXplore™ kit within 2 years of when you have received it.
Please ensure to freeze the ice brick **included in your kit**.
We cannot accept samples returned with a different ice brick.
If your swab touched the collection tissue or toilet paper, please proceed with collecting and posting your sample.
If your swab touched any other surface such as your hand or clothes, or if the stool has come into contact with the toilet water (even if it was only a splash), do not proceed with collection. Please do not put the sample in the post and contact us at info@co-biome.com to request a replacement kit.
There is a detailed instruction booklet included inside your sampling kit. This will be located underneath the cardboard insert.
Below is an instructional videos that complements the written instructions provided in your MetaXplore™ kit.
There is a detailed instruction booklet included inside your sampling kit. This will be located underneath the cardboard insert.
Below is an instructional video that complements the written instructions provided in your MetaXplore GI kit.
For tests purchased before 31 March 2025:
For tests purchased on or after 31 March 2025:
There is a detailed instruction booklet included inside your sampling kit. This will be located underneath the cardboard insert.
Below is an instructional video that complements the written instructions provided in your MetaXplore™ GI Plus kit.
For tests purchased before 31 March 2025:
For tests purchased on or after 31 March 2025:
The minimum volume of faeces to be collected in the pottle is 1 tablespoon, and the maximum is to fill 2/3 of the pottle.
If you are not able to collect enough faeces, please contact our customer service on 1300 974 621 or at info@co-biome.com to request a replacement sampling kit.
Activate by folding up and pulling the indicator activation tab until the tab and barrier film has been removed.
Watch this: https://vimeo.com/828216181
If you have contaminated your sample, forgotten to post it, or the sample is taking too long to arrive at the laboratory, then please contact us at 1300 974 621 or info@co-biome.com to request a replacement sampling kit.
It is ok for your swab to touch the collection tissue or toilet paper.
We cannot issue a replacement kit due to reported contamination if we have already received and begun analysis on your sample, so please contact us as soon as possible if your sample has been contaminated with toilet water or any other surfaces.
For MetaXplore™️ samples
MetaXplore samples (swab only) are stable at room temperature for 10 weeks, so can still be posted later after collection if this has been forgotten. Please do not post your sample if it has been contaminated, and contact us at 1300 974 621 or info@co-biome.com to request a replacement sampling kit.
For MetaXplore™️ GI and MetaXplore™️ GI Plus samples
For MetaXplore GI and MetaXplore GI plus, if one or the other of the swab or pottle does not meet collection requirements, we will need to post another complete sample collection kit. Please do not post only the swab or only the pottle (without the other).
For all samples
The swab (in its pouch) should be stored at room temperature. Do **not** refrigerate the swab.
For MetaXplore™️ GI and MetaXplore™️ GI Plus samples
The collection pot and blue stick should be stored in the pouch with the temperature sensor(s) in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes until you are ready to post.
If you are not going to the post office right away, please keep the pot and blue stick in the fridge while the swab remains at room temperature.
For MetaXplore™️ GI and MetaXplore™️ GI Plus samples
If you are using MetaXplore GI or MetaXplore GI plus, please do not post your sample if it has been more than 2 days since you collected it.
Please contact us on 1300 974 621 or info@co-biome.com replacement sampling kit.
For MetaXplore™️ samples
MetaXplore samples (swab only) are stable at room temperature for 10 weeks, so these can still be posted within that period, provided they have not exceeded 50 degrees celsius.
Please carefully follow the instructions in your kit booklet for how to correctly package your samples for posting.
After a minimum of 30 minutes, take the pouch with the pot and blue stick out of the fridge and activate the temperature sensors.
The pot and blue stick (in the pouch with the activated temperature sensors) and the ice brick should be placed inside the silver insulated bag.
The silver insulated bag is then placed inside the box.
The box is then placed in the reply paid envelope.
The swab (in its pouch) and bristol stool chart should then also be placed inside the reply paid envelope, but outside the box so that it does not get too cold.
It takes between 2-4 weeks to process and analyse a sample once we receive it in our lab.
You will be notified when your sample is received at our laboratory, and when your report has been sent to your health professional.
If you do not receive the email notification and are not advised by your health professional, please contact us at info@co-biome.com and we can check on the status of your sample and report.
It takes between 2-4 weeks to process and analyse a sample once we receive it in our lab.
You will be notified when your sample is received at our laboratory, and when your report has been sent to your health professional.
If you do not receive the email, please contact us at info@co-biome.com and we can check on the status of your sample and report.
Your report will be sent directly to your health professional in the Co-Biome™️ online portal.
Your health professional can then share the report with you via email upon request, as well as download and share a PDF and .csv (Excel file) of the species list during your consult.
We recommend that you request your health professional to provide you access to your report during your consult.
Alternatively, we can contact your health professional for permission to release your results directly to you.
If you are now seeing a different health professional, please email info@co-biome.com with the new practitioner’s name and email address so we can send them a copy or transfer the report to them (if they have registered for a health practitioner portal).
If this is not an option, and you would like your report released directly to yourself without seeing your practitioner, please email info@co-biome.com and we will create a Data Subject Access Request for approval by our head pathologist.
After your sample is received at our laboratory we allow 28 days for testing and delivery of the report.
As soon as your MetaXplore™ report is ready it will be sent to your healthcare professional so they can discuss the results and make personalised recommendations.
The MetaXplore™ reports can help you explore the impact your gut microbiome may be having on your health.
Your healthcare professional can help you interpret the insights in your MetaXplore™ report so you can understand how your gut microbiome may be impacting your gastrointestinal health, digestive complaints such as as constipation, bloating, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, metabolic health, weight management, hormonal health, immune health and chronic inflammation.
Health Professional sign-in
Back to menu options