OpenBiome fecal microbiota transplantation kit

OpenBiome fecal microbiota transplantation kit, United States, 2010-2014.

Founded in 2012, OpenBiome was the world’s first stool bank. They provided material from donors for a treatment known as faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).

Stool or poo from a healthy donor is rigorously checked and administered in a capsule or liquid form. It is thought to help restore a balanced community of gut microbes to treat diarrhoea caused by a bacteria known as C diff or a condition called ulcerative colitis affecting the colon and rectum. It can be used for recurrent C diff infections, particularly if antibiotics become less effective.

In 2021, OpenBiome wound down its program to collect, screen and ship material for faecal transplant with the last treatment sent out in 2024.