A novel strategy that allows cell growth within silica monoliths

MERCEDES PERULLINI,; MATIAS JOBBAGY; GALO SOLER-ILLIA; SARA ALDABE BILMES

strasbourg

Congreso; e-mrs 2005 SPRING MEETING; 2005

e-mrs

resumen A/PIII.03 en el documento adjuntado The sol-gel encapsulation of microorganisms within inorganic matrices is becoming an area of great scientific and technological interest, being the stepping stone towards new biomaterials´ development, from biosensors to bioreactors. None of the procedures described so far in literature allows for population growth, since space limitation suffered by confined cells makes their division completely impossible. This is the first encapsulation procedure to allow cell division within a nanoporous silica monolithic matrix, providing a method for an entire culture (instead of a single cell) encapsulation. Strategy to obtain cells lodging macro-cavities inside the silica matrix involves cells immobilization primary bio-polymeric microspheres (carrier), sol-gel synthesis of the inorganic monolith at biocompatible conditions and liquefaction of the encapsulated bio-polymeric microspheres to allow cell division and growth within the silica matrix. The present procedure was successfully tested with a variety of microorganisms which include Bacillus subtilis spores, non-sporulating bacteria Escherichia coli, and yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The diffusion time of nutrients within the nanoporous silica monolith is fast enough to allow growing rates similar to those obtained in a traditional liquid culture. The inorganic matrix provides an effective mechanical barrier for the isolation of growing cultures, avoiding contaminating agents´ entrance.