Programmable Morphology Shifts in Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Low-Energy Harvesting Strategy for Functional Food Fermentation

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are central to the production of functional foods with proven benefits for gut microbiota balance and immune regulation. Using computational modeling and literature-derived parameters, we simulated morphology transitions from planktonic rods to chain-forming aggregates and assessed their impact on biomass recovery and energy consumption.

This meta-analysis integrates quantitative findings from 18 peer-reviewed studies examining LAB aggregation, sedimentation-related traits, and probiotic functionality. Results demonstrated auto-aggregation ranging from 45.2% to 120.4% and hydrophobicity between 31.0% and 83.0%, indicating strong potential for passive biomass recovery. In some strains, auto-aggregation reached as high as 96.3 %, suggesting near-complete cell clumping. Simulated gastrointestinal conditions revealed robust probiotic viability with survival ranging from 87.2% to 96.7% and adhesion rates to human epithelial cells (Caco-2/HT-29) up to 21.7%. Taken together, these data imply that morphology-induced aggregation could facilitate sedimentation or low-speed separation, likely reducing energy consumption by 50% or more compared to conventional centrifugation based on theoretical sedimentation models calibrated with aggregation inputs. Crucially, probiotic integrity and function appear preserved under these conditions. This analysis underscores the feasibility of morphology programming as an eco-efficient, scalable method for harvesting LAB in functional food manufacturing. It offers scalability across both dairy and plant-based fermentation systems, aligning with the growing demand for sustainable, functional foods.