Whole-genome gut sequencing

Inside your gut is an entire living ecosystem

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that do far more than digest food. They help regulate your energy, support your immune system, influence your skin, and interact with the systems that shape your mood.

A shotgun metagenomic test reads every strand of DNA in your sample, so it sees the whole community — not just the bacteria, but the viruses, fungi and parasites living alongside them. And it goes past a species list to show what your microbiome is doing for you: whether it makes enough butyrate to protect your gut lining, produces B vitamins like folate and B12, and breaks down the fibre in your food.

Understand your gut

What is the gut microbiome?

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, a living community that works alongside your own cells to digest food, train your immune system, and produce compounds your body can't make on its own.

Illustration of what's inside the gut microbiome

Collectively, these microbes carry millions of genes that produce vitamins, short-chain fatty acids, and other compounds your body relies on.

What you eat, where you live, and even your stress levels constantly reshape this community.

What's happening inside your gut right now

A healthy gut has a thick mucus layer, diverse bacteria, and tight cell junctions that keep harmful particles out of your bloodstream. When that balance is disrupted, those barriers break down and the effects show up as inflammation, low energy, poor digestion, and more.

Healthy gut versus disrupted gut diagram showing intestinal lining, mucus layer, bacteria, and tight junctions

The Science and the Team Behind It

The Science

Your gut microbiome, in context

Your gut is shaped by diet, lifestyle, and environment. But most people never see what their microbiome actually looks like or how it compares to healthy diversity ranges.

What you cannot see

Your gut contains trillions of microorganisms that influence digestion, immunity, and metabolic health. Without testing, this ecosystem remains completely invisible.

What testing reveals

A shotgun metagenomic test sequences all the DNA in your sample to identify the bacteria, viruses, and fungi present down to the species level, how diverse your microbiome is, and what those microbes are equipped to do.

What you can do with it

With personalised insights, you can make targeted changes to support microbial diversity through diet and lifestyle, based on what your gut actually shows rather than guesswork.

How to Choose the Right Gut Test

Some gut tests give you a broad picture of which microbial families are living in your gut. Wellsprout's shotgun metagenomics test goes deeper, identifying the microbes present, the genes they carry, and the biological pathways they may be capable of performing.

Comparison of Wellsprout shotgun metagenomics versus standard 16S amplicon testing

Why does that matter? These microbial functions are connected to biological processes involved in digestion, metabolism, immune function and overall wellbeing. Looking at function gives us more context to turn your microbiome data into personalised insights across food, lifestyle, sleep and supplements.

How Wellsprout Compares to Traditional Tests

Powered by advanced shotgun metagenomic sequencing, Wellsprout delivers species-level precision and deeper biological insight than traditional gut tests.

Comparison of Wellsprout gut health test versus other traditional gut tests
Explore the Test

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