A novel affordable reagent for room temperature storage and transport of fecal samples for metagenomic analyses. META_STABILIZER

Background: The number of large-scale studies on the gut microbiota in human cohorts is rapidly increasing. However, the few and expensive options for storage of fecal samples at room temperature have been an obstacle for large-scale metagenomic studies and the development of clinical/commercial personal metagenomic sequencing. Results: In this study, we systematically tested a novel N-octylpyridinium bromide-based fecal sample preservation method, and compared it with other currently used storage methods. We found that the N-octylpyridinium bromide-based method enabled preservation of the bacterial composition in fecal samples transported and stored at room temperature for up to at least 14 days.Conclusions: We describe a novel chemical stabilizer that allows cost-effective transportation and storage at room temperature for several days with preservation of bacterial composition. This method will facilitate sample collection even in remote area and also enable transport via normal commercial transportation routes.背景：针对人类队列的肠道微生物群（gut microbiota）的大规模研究数量正快速增长。然而，当前可用于室温下粪便样本保存的方案不仅数量有限，且成本高昂，这已成为阻碍大规模宏基因组学研究以及临床/商业化个人宏基因组测序发展的关键障碍。结果：本研究系统测试了一种基于溴化N-辛基吡啶（N-octylpyridinium bromide）的新型粪便样本保存方法，并将其与当前主流的其他保存方法进行了对照。研究发现，该方法可在室温下运输和保存粪便样本长达至少14天，且能有效维持样本中的细菌群落组成。结论：本研究报道了一种新型化学稳定剂，可实现经济高效的室温下数日运输与保存，并完整保留粪便样本的细菌群落组成。该方法不仅可助力偏远地区的样本采集工作，还可通过常规商业运输渠道完成样本转运。