Engineered probiotic biointerfaces: Construction principles, microscopic characterisation and biomedical functions

Engineered probiotic biointerfaces are the dynamic boundaries through which modified bacteria interact with their biological surroundings. They can improve bacterial survival, mucosal retention and therapeutic delivery, but the structural basis of these effects is often unclear. This review groups biointerfaces by their dominant role: barrier protection, recognition, responsiveness, interaction and renewal by living cells. We compare microscopy methods for measuring coating continuity, ligand organisation, surface mechanics and changes during growth or biological transport. We also explain how artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted image analysis can convert bacterial images into reproducible single-cell measurements, using published workflows as practical examples. These methods can help connect interfacial changes with mucosal protection, immune regulation, targeted delivery and antibiofilm activity. Coating continuity, ligand organisation and mechanics are parameters associated with performance; their causal contributions remain to be established. We therefore propose combining measurements over time with matched functional assays and controlled changes to individual interface parameters. This approach can test structure-property-function relationships and guide the design of reproducible living therapeutics.