With Microbiome 360°, Bactera offers one of Europe's most advanced at-home microbiome analyses. We read the entire DNA of your sample and identify bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites down to species level, for your gut, oral and vaginal microbiome, and for children from 0 to 17 years.
Your gut, your mouth and your vaginal microbiome are three ecosystems, each with its own rules, and each one can quietly fall out of balance. Microbiome 360° shows you what yours really needs.
Ongoing gut problems even though you eat well, tiredness that sleep does not fix, or skin that never quite clears up?
Bloating · Fatigue · SkinBleeding gums, bad breath or cavities that keep coming back, even though you brush and floss?
Gums · Breath · CavitiesItching, unusual discharge or infections that come back after every treatment?
Itching · Discharge · InfectionsA child with a sensitive tummy, digestion that never settled after antibiotics, or problems that have been there since the first months?
Tummy · Antibiotics · InfancyMicrobiome 360° reads the entire DNA of your sample and shows you what your gut, your mouth or your vaginal microbiome really needs, so you finally understand what your body is telling you.
One product line, Microbiome 360°. Every analysis reads the entire DNA of your sample and comes with a detailed report: you see every organism we find, right down to the species, you get a personalised action plan, and you can download or share the report and your raw data at any time, with your doctor for example.
BestsellerStool sample
Coming soonSaliva sample
Coming soonVaginal swab
Coming soonStool sample · 0 to 17 yearsNot all microbiome tests work the same way: the technology behind the test decides how precise and how useful the result is. Most providers in Europe use 16S sequencing or culture methods, which mainly capture bacteria. Microbiome 360° uses shotgun metagenomics and reads all the DNA in your sample, so viruses, fungi, parasites, functional genes and resistance genes are picked up in the same analysis, on the most advanced sequencing technology available today and under the highest scientific standards.
| Culture methodCultureother providers | 16S sequencing16Sother providers | Shotgun metagenomicsShotgunBactera | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is read | Some bacteria and fungi | A single marker gene | ✓The entire DNA of the sample |
| Resolution | A few bacteria | Mostly genus level | ✓Thousands of species |
| Viruses | No | No | ✓Yes |
| Fungi | Partly | No | ✓Yes |
| Parasites | No | No | ✓Yes, including Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba |
| Functional genes | No | No | ✓Yes, genes for butyrate, nitrate, mucin production and more |
| Antimicrobial resistance | Limited | No | ✓Yes, hundreds of genes screened |
The comparison covers the sequencing depth per sample, that is the number of reads analysed. It refers to the analysis method and not to individual providers.
In simple terms: others look through a keyhole. Bactera opens the entire door.
Most microbiome tests only scratch the surface. With advanced DNA shotgun sequencing we reveal the full picture of your gut, oral or vaginal microbiome and turn complex biology into clear, usable insights. Bactera was founded in Cologne in 2025 by a team from microbiology, human medicine, bioinformatics and computer science. We apply the highest scientific standards to every analysis and keep investing in the most advanced technology and analytic tools, because our goal is world-class quality in everything we do.
Everything happens at home and by post. Nothing to buy, nothing to pack and no appointment needed. Prepaid return included.
Your kit arrives within 1 to 3 working days in Germany. Register it online at my.bactera.de with the code from the box.
Stool sample, saliva sample or vaginal swab, depending on the analysis. The illustrated instructions take you through it in a few minutes.
The same box goes back to the laboratory with the prepaid return label. The stabilising solution keeps your sample stable in the post.
After 4 to 6 weeks your report is ready in your Bactera account: interactive, downloadable and written so that you can take it to your doctor.
Our work rests on established microbiological methods, high-resolution sequencing and standardised bioinformatic procedures. We focus on two areas: microbiome analysis and restoration, and bacteriophage-based modulation of the microbial ecosystem.
We provide shotgun metagenomic sequencing with bioinformatic analysis for clinical and scientific questions: gastroenterology, gynaecology, dentistry, cohort studies and longitudinal work. Our medical liaison team replies within 24 business hours.
People across Germany and Europe use Microbiome 360° to understand their microbiome at a depth that standard tests cannot reach. All reviews are collected through Reviews.io and come exclusively from verified purchases.
A microbiome analysis examines the microorganisms that live at one site of your body, using a sample you collect yourself: a stool sample for the gut, a saliva sample for the mouth and a vaginal swab for the vaginal microbiome. Bactera uses shotgun metagenomics, which reads the entire DNA of the sample and identifies bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites at species level. The report compares your values with a healthy reference group and explains what they mean for you.
Microbiome 360° Gut is the starting point for most adults and covers the largest and best studied microbiome. Microbiome 360° Oral and Microbiome 360° Vaginal are standalone analyses, each with its own ecology and its own reference values. For children and adolescents from newborn to 17 years there is Microbiome 360° Gut - Kids, with five age groups and their own reference cohorts.
Microbiome testing has become popular, but not all tests are the same. Many people assume that every analysis works in the same way; in reality the technology behind the test decides how accurate and how useful the result is. The two main approaches are 16S sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Microbiome 360° uses shotgun sequencing for every body site because it gives a deeper, clinically meaningful picture: species-level data on bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, plus functional genes and resistance genes.
16S sequencing looks at one small genetic barcode that all bacteria share. From this fragment the test estimates which groups of bacteria are present. It is a bit like hearing one sentence from a long conversation and trying to guess the whole story. The method can show general trends, such as whether diversity is high or low, but it usually stops at genus level and it only captures bacteria. In simple terms: 16S is looking through a keyhole, shotgun is opening the whole door.
The method and the range. Most providers in Europe use 16S sequencing or culture methods. We read the entire DNA of the sample with up to 25 million paired-end reads, identify organisms at species level, capture viruses, fungi and parasites in the same analysis and evaluate functional genes as well as resistance genes. And we cover the major microbiomes of the human body: gut, oral and vaginal for adults, plus the gut microbiome for children, each with its own workflow, its own pipeline and its own evaluation.
Yes. Microbiome 360° Gut - Kids is made for children and adolescents from newborn to 17 years, with five age groups and their own reference cohorts in our pipeline. Microbiome 360° Gut, Oral and Vaginal are for adults, 18 years and over.
No. Whenever we add new markers, organisms or analyses, your existing sequencing data is re-analysed and your report is upgraded free of charge, without you sending in a new sample.
We offer one of the most advanced analyses on the market. Shotgun sequencing gives species-level data and detects bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites and genes, at a sequencing depth of up to 25 million paired-end reads per sample, the depth used in international microbiome research.
Your sample is analysed in Germany and processed pseudonymously, and your data is stored securely under the GDPR. Human DNA is removed from the raw data, so we store only the DNA of the microorganisms. You can download your organism list, your FASTQ files and your abundance tables at any time, and your data is never sold.
Usually 4 to 6 weeks after your sample reaches us. You are notified by email as soon as your report is ready in the portal.
For the gut analysis it is best to stop taking probiotics seven days before you collect the sample, and after a course of antibiotics to wait four weeks if you can. The instructions in your kit tell you exactly how to prepare for each analysis.
Microbiome 360° Gut and Microbiome 360° Gut - Kids cost €229 each, Microbiome 360° Oral and Microbiome 360° Vaginal €329 each, including shipping and a prepaid return label. These are self-pay services. Statutory health insurers in Germany generally do not cover microbiome analyses; whether a private insurer contributes depends on your policy.
Did not find your answer? Contact us, we reply within 24 business hours.
Our expert guides explain the method and the most important topics around the microbiome, from shotgun versus 16S to antibiotics, leaky gut and the gut-brain axis.
16S gives a rough overview. Shotgun sequencing analyses all the microbial DNA present, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, resistance genes and functional potential.
Read here →Analyse your microbiome at home: simple sample collection and modern shotgun sequencing.
Read here →How antibiotics affect your gut microbiome, and what helps the community recover.
Read here →What sits behind the term, and the part a balanced microbiome plays in it.
Read here →The connection between the composition of your microbiome and IBS symptoms.
Read here →The gut-brain axis and how it is linked to mental health.
Read here →Choose your analysis, collect your sample at home and read your report in 4 to 6 weeks. Prepaid return included.
