Comparison of methods for fecal microbiome biospecimen collection

Area of Science:

• Microbiome Research
• Epidemiology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Large-scale epidemiological studies require efficient fecal sample collection for microbiome analysis.
• Current methods can be costly or logistically challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of four fecal sample collection methods for human gut microbiome assessment.
• To evaluate the feasibility of using fecal occult blood test cards for large-scale microbiome studies.

Main Methods:

• Compared fecal occult blood test cards, Eppendorf tubes, and Eppendorf tubes with RNAlater, all stored at room temperature for three days.
• Used immediate freezing at -80°C as a control.
• Assayed samples using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Main Results:

• Fecal occult blood test card storage at room temperature for three days did not impact DNA purity or 16S rRNA bacterial gene content.
• Microbiome structure and major taxa abundance did not significantly differ based on collection method.
• Subject variation was the primary driver of microbiome structure differences.

Conclusions:

• Low-cost fecal occult blood test card collection is a feasible method for fecal microbiome assessment in population-based studies.
• This method offers a practical solution for large-scale sample collection.