Mfa. Goosen et al., ELECTROSTATIC DROPLET GENERATION FOR ENCAPSULATION OF SOMATIC TISSUE - ASSESSMENT OF HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER-SUPPLY, Biotechnology progress, 13(4), 1997, pp. 497-502
The production of alginate microbeads with and without somatic tissue
was investigated using an electrostatic droplet generator with a custo
m-made fixed (5.7 kV) and variable (0-20 kV) high-voltage power supply
. The effects of applied potential, needle size, and alginate concentr
ation were assessed as well as the immobilization of carnation callus
cells. The high-voltage output from the power supply depended on wheth
er the low-voltage input was increasing or decreasing. This hysteresis
effect may be due to the electrical properties of the oscillator in t
he high-voltage source. While a short electrode distance and a high ne
edle gauge were important for producing small alginate bead diameters
(e.g., 100 mu m), alginate concentration in the range 1-3% (w/v) was n
ot a key factor. Somatic tissue encapsulated using 2% sodium alginate
retained viability over a 2-month culture period.