How We Test
OpenBaseline uses three validated home-collection sample types, each optimized for different biomarkers:
Saliva
Saliva testing identifies bioavailable hormone levels — the active quantity free to enter body tissue. It's non-invasive and the gold standard for tests requiring multiple collections, such as diurnal cortisol mapping.
Dried Blood Spot
A simple finger prick onto a collection card. Ideal for measuring thyroid hormones, metabolic markers (insulin, HbA1c, lipids), and toxic/essential elements like mercury, lead, zinc, and selenium.
Dried Urine
Provides measurement of hormone metabolites, iodine status, and additional toxic element exposure. Collection is simple — a paper strip dipped in a urine sample.
Quality Assurance
All samples are processed by our CLIA-certified partner laboratory using validated analytical methods including EIA (enzyme immunoassay), LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry), and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) as appropriate for each analyte. Every batch includes blind duplicates and quality controls, and the lab participates in external proficiency testing programs.
The Questionnaire
What makes OpenBaseline unique is not just the test — it's the context. Our intake questionnaire captures 200+ variables across demographics, lifestyle, environment, diet, sleep, stress, medications, supplements, and symptoms. We embed validated research instruments including the PSS-10 (stress), GAD-7 (anxiety), and PSQI (sleep quality). Every field was selected for its potential value in machine learning and population-level analysis.
The OpenBaseline Research Dataset
A growing, open-access collection of anonymized wellness biomarker data paired with comprehensive lifestyle and environmental context. The dataset is de-identified per HIPAA Safe Harbor standards (18 identifiers removed), with geographic resolution limited to 3-digit zip codes and exact ages generalized to ranges.
The dataset is published quarterly in machine-readable formats (Parquet, CSV, JSON) with API access for programmatic queries. Every data release undergoes k-anonymity verification to ensure no individual can be re-identified.
Publications
Publications and preprints from the OpenBaseline Research Dataset will appear here as they become available. Our first data release is planned for Q4 2026.