How does Nahibu guarantee the reliability of your analysis?

Why quality control of the gut microbiota test is essential

Quality control is an essential step in gut microbiota analysis. At Nahibu, every stool sample undergoes a rigorous protocol to guarantee reliable, accurate and representative results.
In this article, we explain why quality control matters, how it is carried out, and the conditions under which your sample can be analysed.

Nahibu’s specialists guide you

The microbiota is a fragile ecosystem. As with any biological analysis, the quality of the sample is a crucial factor that can influence the reliability of the results.

Several factors can affect sample quality:

• The amount of material collected
• Handling conditions
• How the sample is preserved before analysis

This is why, before being analysed, every stool sample must be checked. Quality control confirms that the sample received is compliant and usable. This verification ensures the analysis runs smoothly and produces reliable, genuinely representative results.

At Nahibu, we pay particular attention to this step, because it provides a solid foundation for the entire analytical process.

The 3 key stages of quality control

Here is the rigorous process Nahibu follows each time a sample is received:

1) Checking the quantity: a first essential criterion

The first step is to check the amount of material in the tube. Too little would not allow enough DNA to be extracted, which would compromise the rest of the analysis.

2) Integrity of the sampling kit: safety and compliance

We then check the integrity of the tube and the general condition of the sample:

The stabilising liquid contained in the Nahibu kit tube is essential: it preserves your sample’s DNA at room temperature until it reaches our laboratory. It is therefore essential not to empty this liquid. Without it, the sample could not be preserved, would degrade, and would become unusable.

3) Sample identification: traceability

To guarantee confidentiality and the protection of personal data, each sample is anonymised and linked to a unique anonymity number.

On receipt, we check that the tube is correctly identified and that the anonymity number matches the information provided (questionnaire answers).

In particular, we verify the match between:

• the anonymity number
• the order information
• the additional information provided (questionnaire answers)

This step rules out any risk of confusion and guarantees complete, secure traceability throughout the analysis process.

---

What happens after quality control?

Once quality control is validated, your sample is stored at -80°C while it awaits the next stages of analysis:

1. DNA extraction
2. Library preparation
3. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing
4. Bioinformatic analysis to identify the bacteria, functions and profiles of your microbiota

For full transparency, you receive automatic notifications throughout the process:

👉 Kit received / quality control

👉 Sent for sequencing

👉 Sent for bioinformatic analysis

👉 Results available

In summary: Nahibu quality control means…

Thanks to these essential steps, we guarantee the reliability of your analysis and the accuracy of the personalised advice you then receive, developed by the Nahibu team.