Two different diseases, one shared question: does it help if we replace the gut flora? The answer is not the same for the two. In ulcerative colitis several independent randomised trials speak in favour of the treatment; in IBS the picture is contradictory, and the professional guidelines do not currently recommend it. On this page we state both — so that you know where you stand.
If you have lived with it for years, you know: the complaint is real even when the test results are normal.
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is the most common functional disorder of the digestive system: abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel function — with constipation (IBS-C), with diarrhoea (IBS-D) or alternating between the two (IBS-M). There is no visible inflammation or organic change behind it, which is why the diagnosis is often drawn out over years. This does not mean that the complaint is “not real”: the sensitivity of the gut–brain axis, the production of intestinal gases and the composition of the microbiota all differ measurably.
IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) is of a different nature: here there is confirmed, chronic inflammation in the bowel wall. Its two main forms are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. This is a lifelong condition requiring specialist care, in which there is no alternative to drug treatment — microbiota transfer can at most be placed alongside it, never instead of it.
The Dysbiosis can be demonstrated in both diseases: lower species richness, fewer bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids, less Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Microbiota transfer therapy (MTT) tries to restore this — not by introducing a single strain, but by replacing the whole community. Where this leads to a measurable result and where it does not is stated by the evidence section of this page.
This is not a diagnosis and does not replace a medical examination — but in one minute it shows whether it is worth getting in touch with us.
Severe, acute colitis — six or more bloody stools a day accompanied by fever, rapid heartbeat, anaemia or a raised sedimentation rate —, suspected toxic megacolon, bowel perforation, peritonitis, massive intestinal bleeding, bowel obstruction, an undrained abscess, dehydration or sepsis all require immediate hospital care. In such a case do not contact us: call an ambulance or go to an emergency department.
Likewise, investigation must come first, not treatment, if you have an unexplained alarm symptom: fresh blood in the stool, unintentional weight loss, anaemia, night-time symptoms, symptom onset over the age of 50 or bowel cancer in the family.
So that you know what happens when and where the decision points are.
Recording the patient data, completing the “Goals and expectations” questionnaire, and a telephone consultation if you wish. Once the decision is made, the compatibility test starts — and with it the microbiota transfer, since the test itself is low-dose MTT. The therapy therefore does not begin in week 10, but here.
We evaluate the test, select the appropriate LOT, fill in the exposome questionnaire together, and dose determination begins. By this point the symptom and food diary also shows which foods and situations trigger the complaints. Decision: whether we move on to finding the therapeutic dose.
We determine the dose to be used. MTT has been running at a low dose since the first week; from here on it continues at the therapeutic dose. Decision: whether we move on to the minimum 60-day, full-dose phase with the capsule of the selected LOT number.
This is where it becomes clear whether the treatment has brought a meaningful change. Decision: can further improvement be expected from continuing, or from changing LOT? If not, we begin tapering off, reducing by one capsule every 7–10 days. If it has not worked, we say so, and we do not recommend continuing.
The same order as on the timeline above. At every stage you will know what the next thing to do is.
Fill in the form or ask for a call back. In a free, 15-minute conversation we clarify whether it makes sense to start in your case. If we see that it does not, we will say so.
→We send a link by e-mail with which you can register as a patient. At that point you receive from us a unique identifier in the P0000000 format. We record the patient data, and you fill in the “Goals and expectations” questionnaire.
The FindBiome is the compatibility test itself: it shows which donor your microbiota matches best, and screens out possible side effects. Since the capsule is low-dose microbiota transfer, the therapy begins with this step. The capsules are assembled within 72 hours. It is a paid step, but it does not oblige you to continue.
week 5 we evaluate the test and select the appropriate LOT. We fill in the exposome questionnaire together: we review the diet, the lifestyle and the possible environmental exposures. Dose determination begins.
The week 10 we determine the dose to be used, and the treatment continues at the full, therapeutic dose: minimum 60-day phase with the capsule of the selected LOT number, under the guidance of the treating physician.
The symptom and food diary, together with regular consultation, accompanies the whole process. By week 18 we assess the result. If no further improvement can be expected, we taper the capsule off gradually, reducing by one every 7–10 days.
You do not have to decide about the whole process at once. After every step you have the opportunity to assess the results achieved.
| Step | What we provide | Price | Must you continue? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Call back and pre-screening | A 15-minute conversation, clarifying suitability | free of charge | no |
| 2. FindBiome compatibility test 4×15 capsules | Testing donor–recipient matching, at the same time low-dose MTT, the first phase of the therapy | 1,140 € + shipping cost | no |
| 3. Exposome consultation | Assessment of environmental and lifestyle exposures, setting goals together (with a DynaMAP baseline if wanted) | 185 € the DynaMAP can be ordered separately: €325 (professional) or €575 (comprehensive) | no |
| 4. TransferBiome course 60 / 3×60 capsules | Personalised composition, full protocol + follow-up (the quantity required is decided during the biological trial) | 1,350 €/60 capsules | – |
| Item | Included? |
|---|---|
| Call back and pre-screening (15-minute conversation) | yes — free of charge |
| FindBiome compatibility test | separate item: 1,140 € |
| Exposome consultation | separate item: 185 € |
| DynaMAP microbiome profile | can be ordered separately: €325 (professional) or €575 (comprehensive) |
| Appearing in person | is not necessary — the process is remote throughout |
| The capsules in the packaging unit ordered | yes — at the price in the table above |
| Shipping cost | no — the delivery charge is separate |
| Follow-up during the course | yes |
| Joint closing assessment and tapering-off plan | yes |
| Examination by the treating physician, laboratory tests | no — these take place at your own healthcare provider |
The same high-quality donor microbiota, processed in a certified laboratory — in two steps, tailored to your situation.
The two diseases are on one page, but they are not in the same weight class. This is the most important sentence to take away from this page. In ulcerative colitis several independent randomised trials speak in favour of microbiota transfer; in IBS the results are contradictory, and the professional guidelines do not currently recommend it.
Ulcerative colitis: four randomised trials, all pointing the same way. The Canadian, the Dutch, the Australian and the Costello trial all showed a higher remission rate in the group receiving donor stool than in the placebo group.371, 796, 392, 188 The size of the effect is nevertheless modest — typically one patient in four or five reaches remission — and the protocols (number of donors, intensity, route of delivery) differ from trial to trial.
Crohn's disease: here there is substantially less data. On the basis of a single smaller French randomised trial and the pooled picture from the systematic reviews, routine use cannot be recommended today.478, 793 If you come to us with Crohn's disease, we say this in advance.
IBS: one strong positive trial, one strong negative one, and cautious guidelines. In a Norwegian trial of 164 patients, 89% of those receiving the 60-gram dose improved, against 23.6% on placebo;390 another Norwegian research group, by contrast, found that placebo performed better.779 According to the three-year follow-up the effect persists, but fades.782 In IBS the guideline of the American College of Gastroenterology does not recommend faecal transplantation in routine care.785
What we can responsibly promise on this basis: nothing. What we do undertake: to tell you which column your case stands in — and if the evidence is weak, to say that it is weak.
Every donor goes through DSQ donor screening framework.
Every capsule we ship carries a LOT number (a manufacturing batch identifier), so it can be traced back to the donor at any time.
The FindBiome test shows, before the therapeutic dose, which donor matches, and screens out a preparation that is poorly tolerated. If there is no suitable one, we do not recommend continuing.
We do not start a protocol without a treating physician. In IBD this is not optional: we work with the knowledge and agreement of the gastroenterologist in charge, and the existing drug treatment continues unchanged.
The symptom and food diary accompanies the whole course. We assess in week 18: if it has not brought a meaningful change, we say so, and we do not recommend continuing.
In the studies, mild, transient complaints are common: bloating, abdominal discomfort, transient diarrhoea or constipation, slightly raised temperature. Serious events are rare. In IBD flare-ups have also been described, which is why we track the inflammatory parameters.
The process breaks down into four phases, and at the end of each there is an exit point. We do not build in automatic continuation.
Step 1 — Compatibility test (FindBiome). 4×15 capsules over 32 days: five-day dosing periods with three-day breaks between them. During this time you keep a symptom and food diary, which we analyse at the end and also share with your treating physician. The aim of the test is not a change in your condition: we concentrate on screening out possible side effects and on selecting the donor. Price: €1,140 + shipping cost.
Step 2 — Exposome consultation and DynaMAP (optional). If you would like to understand your own microbiota profile more deeply, we carry out a DynaMAP analysis and you can also take up a consultation. The consultation is €185; DynaMAP can be ordered separately, and the result is ready in 16–20 days. The test requires a whole, homogenised, refrigerated stool sample processed within 4 hours of collection — we send a separate sampling kit for this.
Step 3 — TransferBiome course. On the basis of the compatibility test result, the course continues with the best-matching composition, as a minimum 60-day therapeutic course. We set the daily number of capsules, the diary keeping continues, and the treatment is directed throughout by your treating physician. Price: €1,350 / 60 capsules.
Step 4 — Assessment, gradual tapering, long-term balance. We assess in week 18. If the symptoms have improved to the desired extent, we gradually reduce the daily dose under medical guidance. In this phase the key is a lifestyle that supports the balance achieved: nutrition, exercise, stress management.
If you are a treating physician, or the patient asks you for an opinion: treatment follows the MTT Clinical Protocol Guide v7.1 which sets out patient selection, dose determination, the rules of escalation and gradual tapering, donor screening requirements and the follow-up steps. Referring a patient requires no separate agreement: a single message is enough and we will initiate the professional consultation.
The scientific background page works through, aspect by aspect and in parallel for both diseases, what the studies measured, what came out, where the uncertainty lies and what the alternative is. Beside every statement stands the reference and its summary.
Write briefly about the diagnosis you are being treated for, how long the symptoms have lasted, and what has been tried so far. We will review whether it makes sense to start in your case — and if we see that it does not, we will say so.
MicroBiome Bank does not sell products; it connects donors and recipients by providing professional medical services: it organises the recruitment of donors and their screening in a certified laboratory, the stool tests, and the processing of the screened donation into capsule form. The contents of the capsules remain the property of the donor until the recipient has paid in full. The brand names of the services serve to make them easier to remember. We deliver the capsules “to the doctor's hand”, and they are to be used under the guidance of a treating physician. For detailed information, please contact us.
The MicroBiome Bank service is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The decision to use it rests in every case with the treating physician.