What Is the GI-MAP™ Test? A Complete Guide

Editorial update: 14 September 2026 · GI MAP Test team

If you have been struggling with chronic digestive issues, unexplained fatigue, autoimmune symptoms, or skin problems, your doctor may have suggested a stool test. The GI-MAP™ is available to order directly online — no doctor's referral required.

The GI-MAP™ is a stool panel from Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory. It reports selected microbial DNA targets and intestinal-health markers from a sample collected at home. It is one testing option to discuss with a healthcare professional; a larger panel does not automatically provide a better answer for every symptom.

What Does GI-MAP™ Stand For?

GI-MAP™ stands for GI Microbial Assay Plus. It is developed and processed by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory, a CLIA-certified laboratory based in the United States. The "Plus" refers to the intestinal health markers included beyond the core microbial analysis.

How Is the GI-MAP™ Different from Regular Stool Tests?

GI-MAP uses quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to measure selected DNA targets. Culture, microscopy and other molecular tests answer different questions. Detecting DNA does not establish whether an organism is alive, whether infection is active or recent, or whether it explains a person’s symptoms.

Quantitative results estimate the amount of a target in the submitted sample. A number is not a direct measure of disease severity. Sampling, handling, analytical performance and clinical context affect interpretation.

What Does the GI-MAP™ Test For?

The GI-MAP™ analyzes over 85 biomarkers organized into several categories:

Bacterial Pathogens

Selected targets include H. pylori and virulence-factor genes, Campylobacter, C. difficile toxin genes, pathogenic E. coli, Salmonella and others. Detecting a toxin gene is different from measuring toxin production. These findings need clinical interpretation.

Parasitic Pathogens

The panel includes selected parasites such as Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia and Cyclospora. No panel detects every parasite. See the parasites and testing guide and confirm the required target with your clinician.

Viral Pathogens

The test detects Norovirus GI/GII and Rotavirus A, two common causes of acute gastroenteritis.

Opportunistic Organisms

These are bacteria and fungi that may be part of the normal microbiome but can cause problems when present in excess. This includes various Candida species, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, and others.

Beneficial Bacteria

The report includes selected commensal bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia. A result outside the laboratory’s reference range does not, by itself, diagnose dysbiosis or explain symptoms.

Intestinal Health Markers

The panel also reports markers such as calprotectin, secretory IgA, elastase-1, steatocrit, anti-gliadin IgA, beta-glucuronidase and occult blood. Their purposes and evidence differ. Anti-gliadin IgA in stool is not a standalone diagnosis of celiac disease or food sensitivity.

Who Should Consider the GI-MAP™?

Discuss persistent digestive symptoms with a licensed clinician before choosing a test. The useful question is which result would change your care and whether a targeted conventional test is more appropriate. Do not delay medical evaluation for severe symptoms or use this report alone to start treatment.

Each biomarker is reported with a numeric value alongside a reference range, and many practitioners use these numbers as a baseline that can be re-tested after a course of treatment to see whether levels have moved in the right direction.

How the qPCR Technology Actually Works

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is the same broad family of DNA-amplification technology that became familiar to the public during COVID-19 testing. The laboratory uses primers that are designed to bind to genetic sequences unique to each target organism. If that organism's DNA is present in the stool sample, the reaction amplifies it through repeated heating and cooling cycles, and a fluorescent signal is measured in real time.

The number of cycles required before the signal crosses a detection threshold corresponds to how much starting DNA was present, which is how the test produces a quantitative result rather than a simple "detected / not detected" answer.

Because the method targets DNA directly, it does not depend on whether an organism is still alive or able to grow on a culture plate. This is one reason molecular panels generally report higher detection rates than traditional culture for many gastrointestinal targets. It is also why sample handling matters: the at-home collection kit includes a preservative designed to stabilize microbial DNA during shipping. You can see exactly what the collection process looks like on our how it works page.

How to Read Your GI-MAP™ Report

A GI-MAP™ report groups results into the categories described above and flags values that fall outside the reference range, often using color coding so that out-of-range findings stand out at a glance.

A single flagged marker rarely tells the whole story on its own. For example, an opportunistic overgrowth alongside low beneficial bacteria and elevated Calprotectin paints a very different picture than one mildly elevated marker in isolation. This is why the report is intended to be interpreted in the context of your symptoms and history by a qualified practitioner rather than read as a standalone diagnosis. You can preview the layout on our sample report page before you order.

Results are not a substitute for evaluation by a licensed clinician. The GI-MAP™ is best used as one input into a broader clinical picture, and any treatment decisions, including the use of antimicrobials, antibiotics, or prescription medication, should be made with a healthcare professional who can weigh the findings against your individual circumstances.

GI-MAP™ vs. Other Stool Tests

Compare the panels, collection requirements and quote questions in our GI-MAP vs GI Effects vs Gut Zoomer guide.

Conventional stool testing has traditionally relied on culture and microscopy, which require organisms to grow or to be visually identified. These methods remain valuable in acute clinical settings, but they can miss organisms that are difficult to culture, present in small numbers, or no longer viable. We compare the two approaches in detail in our guide on GI-MAP™ vs. conventional stool culture.

The GI-MAP™ also offers focused panels:

• The comprehensive GI-MAP™ Standard
• GI-MAP™ + Zonulin, which adds zonulin; this result alone does not establish intestinal permeability
• A standalone H. pylori profile, for those whose primary concern is Helicobacter pylori and its virulence factors

Common Questions About the GI-MAP™

Do I need to stop probiotics or medications before testing?

Follow the instructions supplied with your current kit and discuss preparation with the clinician overseeing testing. Do not stop prescribed medicines on the basis of this article.

Is the GI-MAP™ a diagnostic test for a specific disease?

No. The GI-MAP™ is a laboratory assessment of microbial and intestinal-health markers. It can reveal patterns associated with various conditions, but it does not by itself diagnose disease. Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, infections, and cancers require evaluation and diagnosis by a physician using appropriate clinical methods.

How long do results take?

Turnaround is typically a couple of weeks after the laboratory receives your sample, since the full comprehensive panel is processed rather than a single targeted organism.

How to Order in the United States

You can start an order online without arranging an outside referral. The required practitioner ordering step is included. US service excludes New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island; shipping exceptions apply. See how to order, current prices and the shipping policy.

Limits of the evidence

A small independent 2020 study using 23 prepared stool samples reported substantial false positives for GI-MAP’s pathogen testing. It did not evaluate every current marker or patient outcomes. The laboratory publishes its own methodology information. Test-specific performance matters; qPCR technology alone does not prove clinical usefulness.

Sources

This article draws on the laboratory's published test documentation and peer-reviewed literature on molecular stool testing. Always discuss your individual results with a qualified healthcare practitioner.

• Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory — GI-MAP (GI Microbial Assay Plus) test overview
• Comparison of Real-Time PCR versus a Culture-dependent Algorithm to Identify Enteropathogens in Stool Samples (Scientific Reports, 2020)
• Fecal Calprotectin for the Diagnosis and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (PMC)