Porous fiber, methods of making the same and uses thereof

Abstract

There is provided a porous fiber having a core-shell configuration, wherein the pores on the fiber are configured to encapsulate and thereby retain a biological material therein.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A porous fiber having a core-shell configuration, said fiber comprising a non-biodegradable polymer, wherein the pores on the fiber are configured to encapsulate and thereby retain a biological material therein. 
     
     
         35 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein the fiber has a generally longitudinal shape. 
     
     
         36 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein said biological material is dispersed throughout the length of the longitudinal fiber. 
     
     
         37 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein the porosity of the fibers is in the range of 5% to 90%. 
     
     
         38 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein the pores of said fiber have a pore size in the range of 1 nm to 1000 nm. 
     
     
         39 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein said biological material is selected from the group consisting of bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, cells and yeast. 
     
     
         40 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein said biological material is selected from the group consisting of enzymes, proteins and nucleic acids. 
     
     
         41 . The porous fiber of  claim 40 , wherein said biological material is immobilized on a solid substrate. 
     
     
         42 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein said fiber is an electrospun fiber. 
     
     
         43 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein the non-biodegradable polymer is polyvinylidene fluoride. 
     
     
         44 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein the polymer has a tensile strength of at least 20 MPa. 
     
     
         45 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein the polymer has a tensile strength of at least 50 MPa. 
     
     
         46 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein the polymer has a tensile modulus of at least 400 MPa. 
     
     
         47 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein the polymer has a tensile modulus of at least 1700 MPa. 
     
     
         48 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein said biological material is a particle having a particle size in the nano-sized range or micron-sized range. 
     
     
         49 . The porous fiber of  claim 34 , wherein said biological material is selected to have a bioremediation activity. 
     
     
         50 . A method of forming a porous fiber having a core-shell configuration, said fiber comprising a non-biodegradable polymer, wherein the pores on the fiber are configured to encapsulate and thereby retain a biological material comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a core solution of the biological material;   b. providing a mixture comprising a fiber material comprised of the non-biodegradable polymer and a pore-forming material as the shell solution, wherein the fiber material and the pore forming material are miscible with each other;   c. forming a core-shell fiber from said core solution and shell solution, said fiber encapsulating and retaining said biological material in the core; and   d. removing said pore-forming material from said formed core-shell fiber to create pores therein.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said forming step comprises the step of electrospinning said core solution and shell solution onto a collector. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said pore-forming material is a solvent having a boiling point in the range of 30° C. to 200° C. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein said removing step comprises the step of evaporating said solvent from said core-shell fiber to form said porous fiber.