Gut microbiome tests in Australia: what each method measures
You can order a gut microbiome test in Australia without a GP referral, as a kit posted to your home. The testing method decides which organisms the report can name: culture reports what grows, PCR measures a fixed list, and shotgun sequencing reads all the DNA in the sample.
Last checked by Refer Labs, 6 November 2026
Where a page here links a company that pays us, it says so beside that link, and nothing else on these pages earns us anything. How we make money.
Culture, PCR or shotgun sequencing: what is the difference?
- Culture. The lab grows organisms from the sample and identifies the ones that grow. Because it relies on growth, it reports the culturable organisms rather than every species present.
- PCR. Measures a defined panel of organisms by their DNA, so it reports quantities for the organisms on that panel and nothing outside it.
- Shotgun sequencing. Reads all the DNA in the sample and compares it with a reference library, so it can name far more species than a fixed panel.
Before comparing prices, check which method a kit uses. Two kits at different prices may simply be measuring different things.
How does an at-home gut microbiome test work?
- Order online. No GP referral is needed.
- The kit and instructions are posted to you; there is no collection centre visit.
- Collect the stool sample at home and post it back as the instructions describe.
- Results are released once the lab has processed the sample, usually weeks later.
Kits often ask you to pause some medicines and supplements beforehand. Follow the provider's instructions, and if you take a medicine on a doctor's advice, check with them before stopping it.
What a microbiome test does not tell you
A microbiome report describes what was found in one sample. It does not diagnose a disease or explain what caused one, and the result can vary between samples.
If you are looking at a test taken at a collection centre instead, our guides to a blood test without a referral and the H. pylori breath test set out how ordering works and what each costs.
Common questions
- Can I get a gut microbiome test in Australia without a referral?
- Yes. Several Australian services sell gut microbiome tests directly, with no GP referral. They are home-collection kits: the kit is posted to you, you collect a stool sample at home and post it back to the lab.
- What is the difference between a culture test and shotgun sequencing?
- A culture test grows organisms from the sample and names the ones that grow. PCR measures a set list of organisms by their DNA. Shotgun sequencing reads all the DNA in the sample against a reference library.
- How long do gut microbiome test results take?
- Usually weeks rather than days, because the sample travels by post and sequencing takes time. Check the turnaround the provider states before ordering.
- Does a gut microbiome test diagnose a condition?
- No. A microbiome report describes what organisms were found in the sample. It does not diagnose a disease or explain what caused one. If you have symptoms, a doctor is the person to assess them.
Keep reading
General information for an Australian audience, not medical advice and not a diagnosis. Circumstances differ from person to person, and a registered practitioner decides what is right for you after an individual assessment. Prices change; where we quote one, it carries the date we checked it.
Know about the good offers first
We email when there's a new offer. Unsubscribe any time.