IIT Delhi Develops Ingestible Gut-Sampling Device

On 16^th December 2025, researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi announced the development of an ingestible microdevice that can directly sample bacteria from the small intestine, offering a breakthrough in human gut microbiome research.

• Current techniques such as endoscopy and ileostomy are invasive, while stool-based analysis provides only indirect and incomplete information about microbes residing higher in the digestive tract.
• The pill-sized device remains sealed in the stomach and opens only upon reaching the intestine, where it collects bacterial samples before resealing to protect them during transit through the gut.
• The device uses an enteric-coated gelatin cap that withstands acidic gastric pH ....