Recent Advances and Multidisciplinary Applications of Lactic Acid Bacteria Research

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are microorganisms that ferment carbohydrates to produce lactic acid and inhabit fermented foods, plants, animals, and extreme environments. Advances in molecular biology, genomics, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence have shifted LAB research from conventional phenotypic screening and fermentation applications toward systematic, intelligent, and engineering-oriented approaches. This review systematically examines LAB taxonomy, resource-mining strategies, and high-throughput screening and functional evaluation systems integrating multi-omics and artificial intelligence. It summarizes recent molecular insights into LAB-mediated regulation of intestinal barrier integrity and immunity, intervention in metabolic diseases, modulation of the neuro–gut axis, and antimicrobial and preservative activities. Innovative applications in the food industry, agricultural environments, and medical and health sectors are also reviewed. Particular attention is given to opportunities arising from interdisciplinary integration with nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and materials science, including LAB-based nanocomposites, biofilm interface engineering, precision delivery, and biosensing. Finally, current challenges in mechanistic elucidation, clinical translation, and large-scale production are discussed. Future research should deeply integrate systems biology, synthetic biology, and data science to make LAB functions predictable, programmable, and controllable, thereby accelerating translation from fundamental research to industrial applications and supporting leapfrog advances across scientific discovery, technological development, and commercialization.