Biosil A.g.

Snia Fibre Spa

Giovanni Carturan

Maurizio Muraca

Gianmarco Del Felice

Renzo Dal Monte

Mirto Mozzon

Anna Piovan

Umberto Brenna

Elsa Mariella Cappelletti

A suspension of animal cells is incubated with supports to adhere the cells to the supports. Preferably, the supports have pores that provide pore volume, and the cells are grown during incubation until most of the available pore volume is filled with cells. An encapsulating layer is then formed around the supported cells by exposing the cells on the supports to a reactive gas composed of a carrier gas such as sterile air saturated with an inorganic alkoxide followed by treatment with steam to hydrolyze residual alkoxide groups. The encapsulated cells are stored by immersion in culture media. The cells may be in the form of cell aggregates, and the supports can be sterilized. The supports and encapsulating layer can have pores of a size that permit free exchange nutrients and metabolic products, and excludes the cells from contacting antibodies or immune cells when implanted. The encapsulated cells can used in an extracorporeal device or implanted directly.

Encapsulation of supported animal cells using gas-phase inorganic alkoxides

Production of secondary metabolites with plant cells immobilized in a

The present invention relates to ZrO.sub.2 - and SiO.sub.2 -based ceramic fibers in which the weight ratio between SiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2 is comprised between 99 and 0.7. The tetragonal ZrO.sub.2 phase is stable at temperatures comprised between 0.degree. and 1500.degree. C. The process comprises the preparation of: a solution of Zr(OR.sup.1).sub.4, where R.sup.1 is an alkyl or aryl, Si(OR.sup.2).sub.4, where R.sup.2 is alkyl or aryl, an organic solvent and an acid. Vapor-phase water is bubbled in said solution, then the obtained solution is drawn and the fibers thus obtained are heated to obtain the crystallization of ZrO.sub.2 and SiO.sub.2.

SiO.sub.2 - and ZrO.sub.2 -based ceramic fibers and process for the

Growing community of inventors

Albignasego, Italy

Giovanni Carturan