GI-MAP – GI Microbial Assay Plus
The GI-MAP® (Microbial Assay Plus) is a comprehensive stool test that relies on quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology to detect parasites, bacteria, H. pylori, fungi, and more by targeting the specific DNA of the organisms tested.
Research overwhelmingly indicates that gut health impacts overall health.
The gut microbiome plays a critical role in mediating the effects of diet and other factors on digestive, immune, metabolic, skin, brain, and neuroendocrine health.
Test results allow practitioners to personalize gut healing protocols that optimize overall health. Get to the root cause of chronic conditions for your patients with GI‑MAP.
New for 2025 – Bile Acids and Short Chain Fatty Acids Testing
Introducing the StoolOMX™ Add‑on Panel for GI‑MAP – The new StoolOMX add-on measures 25 bile acids as well as 9 short chain and branch chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — microbial metabolites essential for gut health. SCFAs reflect microbial activity, fiber fermentation, and gut barrier integrity, while bile acid levels provide insights into malabsorption, bile acid diarrhea, and dysbiosis.
Additionally, recent studies show that up to 30% of patients with IBS‑D are affected by bile acid diarrhea, underscoring the importance of evaluating bile acids in clinical practice.
The markers on StoolOMX provide another layer of insight into your patient's gut health, allowing you to create more precise treatment plans that improve patient outcomes. Add StoolOMX to the GI‑MAP for a truly comprehensive view of gut health for optimized wellness.
Optimal Health — It All Starts with the GI‑MAP
Research overwhelmingly indicates that gut health impacts overall health. The gut microbiome plays a critical role in mediating the effects of diet and other factors on digestive, immune, metabolic, skin, brain, and neuroendocrine health. Results allow practitioners to personalize gut healing protocols that optimize overall health. Get to the root cause of chronic conditions for your patients with GI‑MAP.
Documents
Explore our GI-MAP Sample Report, Interpretive Guide, and other educational resources. Learn about the markers on the test and how they impact overall health so you can better interpret results.
Clinical Information
The GI-MAP’s quantitative PCR technology can reveal underlying causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, and more. Get powerful results on H. pylori and the virulence factors associated with it. GI-MAP results can help you optimize health in patients of all ages.
Patients: Please see Patient Information below.
Results You Can Rely On
Why Is Quantification Using qPCR Technology So Important?
Unlike other comprehensive stool tests on the market, the GI-MAP can provide practitioners with truly quantitative results. qPCR offers a much more accurate way to detect and quantify clinically-relevant organisms than standard PCR, culture, microscopy, or DNA sequencing-based methods. Accurately assessing how much of an organism's DNA is present in a patient's stool sample is essential for helping practitioners to determine the clinical significance of pathogenic organisms and dysbiosis patterns.
qPCR's Reliability, Reproducibility, and Use in Clinical Research
Although qPCR is becoming more commonplace in in-vitro diagnostics (IVD), we are the only laboratory in the United States exclusively using qPCR technology for advanced comprehensive stool testing. This technology is used routinely in clinical and academic research because it provides highly-accurate quantification, as well as high levels of sensitivity and specificity. Standard PCR technology doesn't offer the same level of sensitivity, or the ability to express precise numerical results.
The GI-MAP also provides consistently reproducible results. Reproducibility is of crucial importance to the practitioners and patients that rely on the efficacy of the GI-MAP. To achieve it, we perform rigorous quality control, and have validated all molecular target quantification assays to meet or exceed FDA standards.
GI-MAP Allow for the Personalized Treatment Plans and Informative Retests
The GI-MAP's accuracy and reliability allows practitioners to create personalized treatment protocols to address gut dysfunction based on which infections are urgent, which areas of the gut are already optimized, and which areas should be addressed after an infection is resolved.
Additionally, the quantification offers a remarkable ability to see how treatment modalities are working because a retest after treatment can show whether a parasite has resolved, dysbiosis has improved, and more.
Methodology
Quantitative PCR (qPCR) or Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) – Provides you with true quantitative values. It helps differentiate trace levels of an organism from frank elevations indicative of active infection.
Specimen Requirements
Single Stool Sample – Ambient room temperature in specimen vial provided.
Who Should Have the GI-MAP Comprehensive Stool Analysis Done?
Almost every patient can benefit from a GI-MAP gut health assessment. Some patients are looking to achieve optimal health, while other patients have been chronically ill and frustrated without a diagnosis for years.
Some conditions that warrant testing are:
- Autoimmune diseases
- IBS/IBD
- Digestive complaints, diarrhea or constipation
- Brain fog
- Skin problems, like acne and psoriasis
- Mood disorders, depression, and anxiety
- Diabetes and weight loss issues
Can Infants and Children Benefit from the GI-MAP?
Yes. The GI-MAP is commonly used in infants and children, and can provide insight into conditions related to Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, and digestive complaints. Patients – See Ordering Info Below
What is Reported on GI-MAP Test Results?
The GI-MAP test is an innovative clinical tool that measures gastrointestinal microbiota DNA from a single stool sample with state of the art, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology. GI-MAP was designed to detect microbes that may be disturbing normal microbial balance or contributing to illness as well as indicators of digestion, absorption, inflammation, and immune function.
You can review a full list of analytes tested on our GI-MAP Sample Report.
Categories of Microorganisms Found on the GI-MAP:
PATHOGENS
The GI-MAP includes pathogens (bacterial, parasitic, and viral) commonly known to cause intestinal gastroenteritis. It's important to note that not all individuals with positive findings for pathogens will present with symptoms. Many factors, including the health of the individual, the transient nature of some pathogens, and the presence and expression of virulence factors all contribute to an individual's symptoms.
Toxins are a type of virulence factor produced by certain pathogens. Since GI-MAP is a DNA-based test, results reflect the levels of pathogenic strains carrying the toxin genes, not the levels of any toxins that may be produced.
H. PYLORI
Recent studies have shown that nearly 50% of the world's population may harbor H. pylori. And, although many carriers are asymptomatic, H. pylori is known to have a causative role in ulcers, chronic gastritis, and stomach cancer.
Additionally, in early phases of colonization, patients may experience hypochlorhydria followed by a change to hyperaciduria. Over time, additional H. pylori strains may colonize, including those with Virulence Factors and increased disease potential.
COMMENSAL/KEYSTONE BACTERIA
Trillions of microorganisms inhabit the human intestine to make up a complex ecosystem that plays an important role in human health. Commensal bacteria extract nutrients and energy from our diets, maintain gut barrier function, produce vitamins (biotin and vitamin K), and protect against colonization by potential pathogens.
OPPORTUNISTIC/OVERGROWTH MICROBES
Many bacteria measured on the GI-MAP are considered opportunistic pathogens, as they only cause disease and illness in some individuals, particularly the immune-compromised. Many individuals come into contact with opportunistic bacteria and experience no symptoms. Most sources consider these microbes to be normal in the stool. However, they can cause gastroenteritis and inflammation at high levels in vulnerable patients. Symptoms may include diarrhea, loose stools, abdominal pain, or even constipation.
Overgrowth and excessive colonization by opportunistic bacteria may occur when the commensal bacteria are impaired by poor diet, antibiotic use, parasitic infection, or a weakened immune system. When intestinal permeability is present (see zonulin), these microbes could escape the lumen of the gut and infect extraintestinal sites.
FUNGI/YEAST
Fungal organisms are commonly found in the human digestive tract, but fungal overgrowth can cause illness in susceptible individuals. Fungal growth may be localized in the body. For instance, Candida spp. may be high in the large intestine but normal in the small intestine, and vice versa. In a patient with suspected fungal overgrowth, additional tests may be necessary to understand the complete picture of fungal overgrowth. Urinary D-arabinitol or antibodies to Candida are sometimes used.
PARASITES
A parasite is an organism that lives and feeds on a host organism at the expense of the host. The GI-MAP tests for pathogenic parasites and protozoa (some of which are non-pathogenic) most commonly occurring in the GI tract. Sources of exposure should be identified and eliminated to prevent reinfection.
INTESTINAL HEALTH MARKERS
Beyond the microbial communities of the GI tract, the GI-MAP looks at the foundational health of the GI, including immune function, inflammation, digestion, gliadin (gluten) reactivity, intestinal permeability, and metabolic activity of the gastrointestinal biome. Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory uses clinically validated ELISA assays to accurately quantify these markers in human stool samples: pancreatic elastase-1, secretory IgA (sIgA), anti-gliadin sIgA, eosinophil activation protein (EDN), calprotectin, and zonulin.
H. PYLORI ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES
The GI-MAP includes results for detection of H. pylori antibiotic resistance genes in the microbiome. If an antibiotic resistance gene is present, then that class of antibiotics is designated POSITIVE for antibiotic resistance. A positive result for the presence of resistance genes for a given antibiotic indicates that the antibiotic is not an ideal choice for an antibiotic protocol.
Antibiotic resistance genes apply to all of the microorganisms found in the fecal sample. Since microbes can rapidly share DNA under stress, the presence of antibiotic resistance in any organism is reason enough to avoid that drug class.
RETURN TO CLINICAL INFORMATION MENU ABOVE FOR ORDERING OR ADD-ON INFORMATION.
Test Ordering Options
- GI-MAP® – GI Microbial Assay Plus
- GI-MAP® + Zonunlin
- GI Pathogens Profile
- H. pylori Profile
- Zonulin Profile (Stool)
- Calprotectin
- Gluten Peptide (Stool Gluten)
- Universal Antibiotic Resistance Genes Panel
- StoolOMX™ – Bile Acids and Short Chain Fatty Acids
If you already have an account with us, you may order through our online Practitioner Portal. This test is not available for ordering in the State of New York.
Complementary Panels for Complex Cases
- OMX Organic Metabolomics – Comprehensive metabolic profiling that evaluates patterns of metabolites related to core biological systems, offering insight into biochemical dysfunctions that may be of concern.
- OAp™ Organic Acids Profile – Evaluates urine metabolites to identify the flow of biochemical pathways, revealing information about each person’s unique metabolic function.
- GenomicInsight – Data gleaned from GenomicInsight informatics uses the latest medical literature to provide relevant information on nutraceuticals, nutritional supplements, diet, and lifestyle interventions that can proactively influence a patient's SNPs to reduce or prevent disease risk. Furthermore, pharmacogenomic results included in the profile allow practitioners to predict the efficacy of select pharmaceuticals tailored the individual's genetic make-up.
Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory is CLIA Certified
In addition to our internal quality control and validation processes, Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory is CLIA certified. CLIA certification ensures that our laboratory meets or exceeds U.S. standards set for laboratory excellence.
Add-Ons to GI-MAP Enhance Insight into Patient Health
Zonulin
Zonulin is a protein in the small intestine that plays a crucial role in controlling the permeability of tight junctions between cells in the digestive tract. Elevated zonulin levels in stool are indicative of increased intestinal permeability.
Fecal Gluten Peptide (Stool Gluten)
Fecal Gluten Peptide quantitatively evaluates the gluten immunogenic peptide in stool after recent ingestion (within two-four days). Results can guide practitioners to the source of "hidden" gluten exposures – allowing for increased adherence to a proper therapeutic diet.
The Gluten Peptide (Stool Gluten) marker is available as an optional add-on to the GI-MAP, or as a stand-alone test.
Fecal Gluten Peptide - More Info
Universal Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Genes Panel
The Universal Antibiotic Resistance Genes Panel detects the presence of 55 genetic elements associated with resistance to 10 different classes of antibiotics. Useful for patients who have been hospitalized, treated with antibiotics, or who have stubborn, chronic infections, the Universal AR Genes panel can inform practitioners if antibiotic resistance is a potential stumbling block for patients.
The Universal Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Gene Panel is available as an add-on only to the GI-MAP, or Pathogens Panel.
StoolOMX™
StoolOMX™ is a cutting-edge bile acid and short-chain fatty acid test available as an add-on to the GI‑MAP. It evaluates 25 bile acids and 9 short chain fatty acids, providing actionable insights into conditions like IBS, IBD, and bile acid diarrhea. Gain precision-based tools for better patient outcomes with StoolOMX.
StoolOMX is available as an optional add-on to the GI‑MAP.
Please Note: Add-on options are available to order in the Results Portal.
Start Your GI-MAP Journey Today
Teaming up with us is easy using our Account Setup page. Testing is backed up by scientific literature and uses advanced testing methods that provide reliable quantitative results with clinically-actionable decision points for your patients. (See information below if you're a patient.)
The GI-MAP is the most accurate, comprehensive DNA stool analysis on the market. Become part of our team of practitioners who regularly use it to improve patient outcomes. (See what practitioners are saying about the GI-MAP stool test.)
Our commitment to laboratory medicine is to utilize proven methodologies that are accurate and reliable.
Research
The GI-MAP is always evolving.
Technology
The GI-MAP is committed to the most advanced technology.
Results
Clinicians are getting phenomenal results from the GI-MAP.
GI-MAP – GI Microbial Assay Plus
Almost every patient can benefit from a GI-MAP gut health assessment. If you already have an account with us, you may order through our online Results Portal accessible at the top of this page.
Patient Information
Empower yourself with GI-MAP!
The GI-MAP can help your doctor unravel the root causes of chronic symptoms. From constipation and bloating to eczema, H. pylori, and its virulence factors, the GI-MAP can help your doctor develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to meet to the needs of your unique gut microbiome.
Learn how to find a doctor and start your gut health journey today!
Are You a Patient?
A healthcare practitioner will need to order the test for you. That can be your own doctor, or we can help you find a practitioner in your area.
We know that other companies may offer to sell stool testing directly to you. The GI-MAP is a diagnostic tool and relies on state-of-the-art technology to provide insights into your health. It can be used for patients suffering from serious illnesses, like autoimmune diseases, thyroid diseases, parasitic infections, and Crohn's disease – to name a few.
These serious health concerns should be treated by a licensed practitioner who can interpret your test results and tailor a treatment plan unique to your specific needs. Your health is your greatest asset – only entrust it to an expert. Our transparent patient billing system is easy to use, and we file claims to insurance and Medicare.
Please view our Patient FAQs page and our Patient Billing Policies page for online answers to your questions. You may also reach us using one of the methods found on our Contact Us page.
Collection instructions for GI-MAP and all our other tests can be found on our Collection Instructions page.
Please visit our Patient Billing Policies page for online answers to your questions. You may also reach us using one of the methods found on our Contact Us page.
Information provided by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory does not constitute medical advice; but is for educational purposes only.
Services provided are for laboratory testing only. No charge is incurred for ordering collection kits.
This test is not available for ordering in the State of New York.