Feb 24, 2025
Stool Sample Collection Protocol
- Elisa Menozzi1,2,
- Roxana Mezabrovschi1,2,
- Aleesa Nazeer1,2,
- Kyara De Oliveira Taborda1,2,
- Sofia Koletsi1,2,
- Amelia Anderson1,
- Georgia Pittwood1,
- Jane Macnaughtan2,3,
- Anthony HV Schapira1,2
- 1Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK;
- 2Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815;
- 3Liver Failure Group, Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
Protocol Citation: Elisa Menozzi, Roxana Mezabrovschi, Aleesa Nazeer, Kyara De Oliveira Taborda, Sofia Koletsi, Amelia Anderson, Georgia Pittwood, Jane Macnaughtan, Anthony HV Schapira 2025. Stool Sample Collection Protocol. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.261gerypjl47/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: February 16, 2025
Last Modified: February 24, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 123278
Keywords: ASAPCRN, stool sample collection protocol, stool sample collection protocol this protocol, collection of stool sample, stool sample, protocol detail, protocol, sample, collection
Funders Acknowledgements:
Aligning Science Across Parkinson's
Grant ID: ASAP-000420
Abstract
This protocol details the collection of stool sample.
Guidelines
In this packet, you will find:
1. A plastic BIOHAZARD bag, inside which you will find
2. A sealed tube containing liquid preservative and a ball
3. A spatula in a small plastic bag (keep it in the plastic bag until ready to use) and
4. Paper toilet accessories (there are two inside the plastic packet, one is spare).
Materials
- A plastic BIOHAZARD bag,
- A sealed tube containing liquid preservative and a ball
- A spatula in a small plastic bag (keep it in the plastic bag until ready to use) and
- Paper toilet accessories (there are two inside the plastic packet, one is spare).
Troubleshooting
Safety warnings
The protocol needs prior approval by the users' Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent ethics committee(s) as applicable.
Ethics statement
The protocol needs prior approval by the users' Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent ethics committee(s) as applicable.
Step-by-Step Instructions
30s
Read these instructions in their entirety at least once before you start.
- When you are ready for a natural bowel movement, take the packet to the bathroom.
- We recommend you also bring a cup. The cup is for holding the unused tube upright so the preservative does not spill.
Empty your bladder first, if you need to, to avoid urine contaminating the stool sample.
Take the Toilet accessory out of its package.
Note
Two paper toilet accessories are included in case the first one is unsuccessful.
Carefully peel open the edge marked with an arrow and a triangle,
and then peel open the other edge marked with an arrow and a square
Attach the adhesive surface of the paper toilet accessory to the BACK of the toilet seat with adhesive close to the outer edge of the seat and press firmly.
Empty your bowel in the toilet accessory.
- If bowel movement is liquid (diarrhea), do not proceed. You should try again.
- To dispose of the soiled toilet accessory, drop it into the toilet, wait one minute for paper to become soft, then flush. It is made of paper and biodegradable.
- Wait until the next bowel movement. When the time is right, repeat steps 2-6, using the second toilet accessory.
Having emptied your bowel movement in the Toilet Accessory, unscrew ONLY the purple cap from the tube and set it aside on a clean surface.
- DO NOT remove the yellow cap.
- Keep the tube upright, by placing it in the cup, so the liquid preservative does not spill out.
Take the spatula out of its small plastic bag and use it to take a small amount of stool that was captured on the toilet accessory. Make sure to keep stool material free from toilet water or urine.
Transfer the stool sample into the yellow tube top, scraping horizontally across the tube top to make sure the sample is level. Remove any excess stool material from the outside of the yellow cap with clean toilet paper.
Place the soiled spatula in its original small plastic bag and discard it to the garbage.
Pick up the purple cap with the solid end facing down and screw onto the yellow tube top until it is sealed tightly.
Shake the sealed tube vigorously in a back and forth motion for 00:00:30 . Shake longer if large particles remain (as shown in Figure A below).
30s
Put the tube containing the stool back in the plastic BIOHAZARD bag and seal it shut.
Drop the paper toilet accessory into the toilet, wait one minute for paper to become soft, then flush.
You have now completed the stool sample collection.