When your doctor orders a stool test, the conventional approach is a stool culture — a method used for decades to detect bacterial infections. But this traditional approach has significant limitations that can leave patients without answers. The GI-MAP™ represents a new generation of stool analysis that uses molecular DNA technology to provide a far more complete picture of gut health.
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Which Test Fits Your Situation?
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How Conventional Stool Cultures Work
A traditional stool culture places a sample on growth media and waits for organisms to multiply to detectable levels. A microbiologist then identifies them by growth patterns, colony appearance and biochemical reactions. This takes 2–3 days and only detects organisms that are alive and able to grow under lab conditions.
How the GI-MAP™ Works
The GI-MAP™ uses quantitative PCR (qPCR) to amplify the DNA of target organisms directly from the stool sample. It can detect organisms that are dead or dying, present in very small quantities, difficult or impossible to culture, and slow-growing organisms that cultures miss — and it quantifies what it finds.
When Is Each Test Appropriate?
Conventional cultures remain useful for acute infections where rapid identification of a specific pathogen is needed, particularly in hospital settings. For chronic digestive issues, functional-medicine workups, comprehensive gut-health assessments, and cases where conventional testing has been inconclusive, the GI-MAP™ provides significantly more actionable information.
See GI-MAP™ cost in Canada · GI-MAP™ vs Gutcheck · GI-MAP™ Standard · H. Pylori Profile · See a sample report
