S'Wipe: user-friendly stool collection for high-throughput gut metabolomics and multi-omics

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Metabolomics
• Gut health

Background:

• The gut microbiome and its metabolites are crucial for health and disease.
• Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are key microbial metabolites linked to gastrointestinal disorders.
• Current stool collection methods pose significant barriers to large-scale clinical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an ultra-low-cost, user-friendly fecal collection method.
• To overcome limitations of conventional stool testing for population-based studies.
• To enable high-frequency self-monitoring of the gut metabolome.

Main Methods:

• Development of Stool Wipe (S'Wipe), a cellulose wipe-based fecal collection system.
• Preservation of samples in ethanol without refrigeration for mail shipment.
• Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of volatile and non-volatile metabolites.

Main Results:

• S'Wipe demonstrated stability and reproducibility for diagnostically relevant molecules.
• The method captures both volatile and non-volatile metabolites effectively.
• S'Wipe performance was equivalent to direct stool collection.

Conclusions:

• S'Wipe offers a practical solution for large-scale microbiome and metabolome studies.
• The method facilitates longitudinal tracking and personalized medicine applications.
• This approach supports participatory wellness through accessible self-sampling.