Gut Microbiome Max+
Australia's most advanced at-home gut analysis — every biomarker in the standard Gut Test plus research-grade extras: Disease Risk profiling, 12 Biochemical Function pathways, microbial diversity indices, and full H. pylori virulence and resistance genotyping. Powered by shotgun metagenomic sequencing.
Is this test right for you?
Tap any sign you've experienced. The Gut Microbiome + Max maps the organisms, pathways, and disease-risk patterns behind each one — including markers no other at-home gut test screens for.
Excess gas-producing organisms ferment food in the wrong part of your gut. The Max panel maps the exact species driving the bloat and the biochemical pathways amplifying it (LPS, branched-chain amino acid, and ammonia production).
Alternating constipation and diarrhoea is rarely random. Methane producers slow transit, while opportunistic pathogens accelerate it. This test profiles both ends of the picture — plus Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis risk scores.
Reflux, GORD, ulcers, and stubborn upper GI symptoms often point to H. pylori. Max screens not only for the antigen but also 8 virulence factors (cagA, vacA, babA, etc.) and 3 antibiotic resistance genes — guidance most labs don't provide.
Persistent post-travel symptoms, unexplained diarrhoea, or unrefreshing sleep can flag parasites. Max screens for Blastocystis (9 subtypes), Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba, and helminths — far beyond what a GP stool test detects.
The Max panel includes Faecal Transglutaminase IgA — the most specific antibody marker for Coeliac disease. Useful as a non-invasive first-line indicator before pursuing a serum panel or biopsy.
Pale, oily, or floating stools and unintentional weight loss suggest fat malabsorption. Max measures Steatocrit alongside Pancreatic Elastase 1 — a rare combination that distinguishes pancreatic insufficiency from other malabsorption causes.
Flushing, headaches, hives, or post-meal anxiety can signal a histamine overload from gut bacteria. Max quantifies your microbiome's Histamine Production pathway — a research-grade biochemical metric most stool tests don't measure.
Even one antibiotic course can crash Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Akkermansia populations. Max measures all three and adds microbial diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson) so recovery is tracked numerically — not guessed.
Endotoxin-producing organisms generate LPS that crosses into the bloodstream and impairs cognition and energy. Max reports your microbiome's LPS Production pathway directly — alongside SCFA, mitochondrial fuel markers.
Eczema, acne, rosacea and psoriasis trace back to the gut-skin axis. Intestinal permeability and dysbiosis drive systemic inflammation that surfaces on your skin. Max profiles zonulin, sIgA, and Candida (16 species) for the full picture.
Not sure if this test is right for you?
Answer a few quick questions and our patient care team will respond within 24 hours with personalised guidance — no obligation, no sales pitch.
Got questions? Let us know.
Drop our patient care team a message and we’ll reply within 24 hours.
How it works
From your couch to the lab and back — four simple steps, no doctor visit needed. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing takes a little longer than the standard panel — your full Max report arrives in 14–17 business days.
What's inside your report
Your Max report layers shotgun metagenomic sequencing onto every biomarker in the standard panel — plus Disease Risk scoring, 12 biochemical function pathways, microbial diversity indices, and full H. pylori virulence and resistance genotyping.
| Index | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon Diversity Index | 2.83 | L | (2.74–4.35) |
| Simpson Diversity Index | 0.90 | (0.85–0.97) |
| Ratio | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes | 0.43 | (<2.00) | |
| Proteobacteria / Actinobacteria | 28.00 | H | (0–15) |
| Gram-Positive / Gram-Negative | 0.41 | (0.0–1.5) | |
| Occult Blood | Negative | Negative |
| Risk Profile | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 2 Diabetes Risk | High Risk | ||
| Crohn's Disease Risk | Low Risk | ||
| Ulcerative Colitis Risk | Low Risk | ||
| Colon Cancer Risk | Low Risk | ||
| Fatty Liver Risk | Low Risk | ||
Disease risk scores are derived from microbial composition patterns associated with each condition. They are informational — not diagnostic — and are reviewed alongside your clinical history by your Microbiome Doctor™.
| Pathway | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) Production | 2.58% | (<4.00%) | |
| Trimethylamine (TMA) Production | 0.014% | (<0.30%) | |
| Histamine Production | 0.000% | (<1.00%) | |
| Indolepropionic Acid (IPA) Production | 4.121% | (>1.00%) | |
| Ammonia / Urease Production | 0.267% | (<0.50%) | |
| Branched Chain AA Production | 2.92% | (<5.50%) | |
| Sulphate Production | 1.07% | (<3.00%) | |
| Carbohydrate Metabolism | 4.90% | (1.00–7.00%) | |
| Lipid Metabolism | 5.20% | (1.00–8.00%) | |
| Iron / Other Ion Metabolism | 1.12% | (<3.00%) | |
| Protein / Other Energy Metabolism | 10.50% | (5.00–25.00%) | |
| Ageing Factors (Oxidative Stress) | 0.716% | (<1.00%) |
12 functional pathways quantified from shotgun metagenomic sequencing — measures what your microbiome does, not just what's there.
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giardia intestinalis | 1.0 | H | (<1.00) ×10⁵ org/g |
| Blastocystis hominis | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Cryptosporidium species | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Dientamoeba fragilis | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Entamoeba histolytica | <DL | (<1.00) |
| Organism | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascaris species (Roundworm) | Detected | ||
| Ancylostoma (Hookworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Enterobius (Pinworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Taenia species (Tapeworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Strongyloides (Roundworm) | Not Detected | ||
| Virus | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotavirus A | Detected | ||
| Norovirus GI/II | Not Detected | ||
| Adenovirus 40/41 | Not Detected | ||
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helicobacter pyloriProteobacteria | 15.00 | H | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g |
| Campylobacter speciesProteobacteria | 1.06 | HH | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g |
| C. difficile, Toxin A | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| C. difficile, Toxin B | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Salmonella species | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Enteropathogenic E. coli | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| E. coli O157 | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Yersinia species | <DL | (<1.00) |
| Test | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| H. pylori Antigen | Positive | ||
| H. pylori (quantitative) | 15.00 | H | (<1.00) ×10³ CFU/g |
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 11.34 | H | (<3.00) ×10⁴ |
| Streptococcus oralis | 2.16 | H | (<1.00) ×10⁶ |
| Staphylococcus aureus | <DL | (<5.00) |
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desulfovibrio piger | 396.00 | H | (<18.00) ×10⁶ |
| Methanobrevibacter smithii | 5.54 | H | (<1.00) ×10⁵ |
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klebsiella pneumoniae complex | 11.00 | H | (<5.00) ×10⁵ |
| Fusobacterium species | 42.42 | H | (<20.00) ×10⁴ |
| Citrobacter freundii complex | 0.55 | (<5.00) | |
| Prevotella copri | <DL | (<1.00) |
| Candida Species | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candida albicans | 6.00 | H | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g |
| Candida parapsilosis | 2.20 | H | (<1.00) ×10⁵ CFU/g |
| Candida glabrata | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida krusei | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Candida tropicalis | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Geotrichum species | <DL | (<1.00) | |
| Saccharomyces cerevisiae | <DL | (<1.00) |
Full panel tests 17 fungal species including 14 Candida species, Geotrichum, Rhodotorula, and Saccharomyces.
| Organism | Result | Flag | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akkermansia muciniphila | 118.00 | H | (1–50) ×10⁷ |
| Faecalibacterium prausnitzii | 890.00 | OK | (100–3500) ×10⁶ |
| Bifidobacterium longum | 3.00 | (<1000) ×10⁶ | |
| Bifidobacterium breve | 5.00 | (<1000) ×10⁶ | |
| Lactobacillus acidophilus | 3.00 | (<500) ×10³ | |
| Lactobacillus rhamnosus | 1.90 | (<500) ×10³ | |
| Escherichia species | 5385.00 | H | (3.7–3800) ×10⁴ |
| Clostridium species | 114.70 | H | (5–50) ×10⁷ |
Full panel includes 18 organisms: Akkermansia, 4 Bifidobacterium species, 6 Lactobacillus species, Faecalibacterium, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Escherichia, and Oxalobacter.
Everything you need to know about the Max test
Answers to the questions we hear most from patients considering the Gut Microbiome + Max.
Book a free discovery call or email us at hello@themicrobiomeclinic.com.au
The Max layers shotgun metagenomic sequencing onto every biomarker in the standard panel — and adds four panels you can't get on the standard test: Disease Risk scoring (Type 2 Diabetes, Crohn's, UC, Colon Cancer, Fatty Liver), 12 Biochemical Function pathways (LPS, TMA, histamine, IPA and more), microbial diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson), and microbiota ratios (F/B, P/A, Gram+/Gram−). The standard test is a thorough screen; the Max is a research-grade dataset.
Shotgun metagenomic sequencing reads every fragment of microbial DNA in your stool sample — bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, even strain-level variants — rather than just amplifying a single marker gene. It generates the functional view of your microbiome (what your microbes are doing, not just who's there), which is what powers the Disease Risk and Biochemical Pathways panels in your Max report.
The Max is best suited for patients who want a research-grade workup: complex or longstanding GI symptoms, suspected H. pylori or parasites, autoimmune-adjacent presentations, suspected Coeliac (TgA included), unexplained fat malabsorption (Steatocrit), histamine intolerance, or post-antibiotic recovery. If you'd like a complete metabolic and disease-risk read of your gut, this is the test. For routine screening or first-time testing, the standard Gut Microbiome Test is usually a better starting point.
You collect a small stool sample at home using the NutriPATH kit provided — it takes under five minutes and includes step-by-step instructions, a stabiliser tube, and a pre-paid Australia Post return satchel.
Shotgun metagenomic sequencing involves more lab steps (DNA extraction, library prep, deep sequencing, computational pathway analysis) than the targeted qPCR approach used in the standard panel. Your Max report typically arrives 14–17 business days after the lab receives your sample.
Disease Risk scores reflect microbial composition patterns associated with each condition in published research. They are informational, not diagnostic — a high score does not mean you have or will develop the condition, and a low score does not guarantee protection. Your Microbiome Doctor™ interprets these alongside your symptoms, history, and other lab data to inform a personalised plan.
For the most accurate microbiome read, wait at least 4 weeks after finishing antibiotics and 2 weeks after stopping probiotics. If you're testing specifically to evaluate post-antibiotic damage or probiotic effectiveness, those windows can be different — speak with our patient care team for guidance.
Your report can be reviewed by a Microbiome Doctor™ at The Microbiome Clinic™ — they translate the metagenomic dataset into a personalised plan that takes your symptoms, medical history, diet, medications, and lifestyle into account. Your report is a NATA-accredited pathology document (accreditation #20770) that you can also share with your GP or specialist.