Despite the long history and popularity of alginate gel-beads in exploratory research, their large-scale applications have yet to be realised. The main impediments reside in the methods of production currently in use, namely: (a) gel-beads are prepared one-by-one via elaborate and cumbersome procedures; (b) beads obtainable are normally large and their size is fixed by the orifice employed in their preparation; (c) most applications require smaller beads (microspheres) to be prepared in large quantities in a predetermined and controllable fashion. Thus, we hereby describe a novel and easy method for the mass preparation of the alginate microspheres of controlled size with desirable properties (nonsticky, heat stable, sterilizable and driable). Water content, average diameter, size distribution, average pore size, and pore population density of the gel microspheres are reported. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.