Bioencapsulation within synthetic polymers (Part 1): sol-gel encapsulated biologicals

Since its inception a decade ago, sol-gel encapsulation has opened up an in triguing new way to immobilize biological materials. An array of substances , including catalytic antibodies, DNA, RNA, antigens, live bacterial, funga l, plant and animal cells, and whole protozoa, have been encapsulated in si lica, metal-oxide, organosiloxane and hybrid sol-gel polymers, The advantag es of these 'living ceramics' might give them applications as optical and e lectrochemical sensors, diagnostic devices, catalysts, and even bioartifici al organs. With rapid advances in sol-gel precursors, nanoengineered polyme rs, encapsulation protocols and fabrication methods, this technology promis es to revolutionize bioimmobilization.