Patent ID: 7531334

Claim:
A method of forming polymeric microcarriers for cultivating cells, comprising: forming polymeric microcarriers by emulsion/aggregation from a monomer, oligomer or polymer species, wherein the forming by emulsion/aggregation comprises: a) forming a polymeric resin from the monomer, oligomer or polymer species; b) aggregating the polymeric resin into larger polymeric particles; c) coalescing the polymeric particles into the polymeric microcarriers; d) treating the polymeric microcarriers to introduce or modify a functional group for anchoring the cells on the polymeric microcarriers, wherein the polymeric microcarriers have a particle diameter of from 35 microns to about 200 microns, a particle geometric size distribution of about 1.35 or less, and a particle shape factor of from about 0.950 to about 1; and e) optionally isolating the polymeric microcarriers.