Stabilization refers to suppressing post-capture biological and chemical change while retaining the native molecular and microbial structure present at the moment of sampling.
This includes limiting processes such as microbial growth, oxidation, enzymatic drift, and metabolite degradation after capture, without chemically fixing the sample.
Preservation is a broad term that can include long-term storage, while fixation intentionally alters biological structures or components.
InOut uses "stabilization" to describe its goal of limiting time-dependent biological chemical changes during the period between sample capture and analysis.
Fecal samples reflect downstream material after digestion, transport, oxygen exposure, and time-dependent biological change.
Localized intestinal sampling enables stabilization of site-specific biological information—such as microbial associations, metabolites, enzymes, and signaling molecules—before these signals are diluted, altered, or lost during transit.
No. Stabilization is intended to limit time-dependent and chemical changes that occur after sample capture.
The goal is not to halt all chemical, but to reduce post-capture changes that could alter the biological and molecular characteristics of the sample before analysis.
Stabilization duration depends on formulation and experimental conditions.
Current development targets include multi-day stabilization suitable for intestinal transit, retrieval, and refrigerated transport for research analysis.
Minimizing post-capture changes in microbial composition and relative abundance is a primary development objective.
The system is designed to limit factors such as oxygen exposure, pH shifts, and uncontrolled microbial between capture and analysis.
Oxygen exposure can alter microbial activity and introduce oxidative changes after small capture. The InOut Biome system is being designed to limit oxygen exposure during assembly and after capture, helping reduce changes that could alter the biological and molecular characteristics of the sample before analysis.
Note: All descriptions reflect current research-use development objectives.