Biocatalysts such as cells and enzymes are immobilized in a polymer gel by
forming a mixture containing a biocatalyst, an N,N-dialkylacrylamide
monomer, a cationic acrylamide monomer and a water-soluble cross-linking
monomer, and copolymerizing the monomers to produce a polymer gel
entrapping the biocatalyst. Preferably, the N, N-dialkylacrylamide is
N,N-dimethylacrylamide or N,N-diethylacrylamide in an amount of about 70
to about 99.8% by weight, the cationic acrylamide monomer is
N,N-dimethylaminopropylacrylamide, N,N-dimethylaminopropylmethacrylamide,
N,N-diethylaminopropylmethacrylamide, N,N-diethylaminopropylacrylamide and
quaternary compounds thereof in a amount of about 0.1 to about 10% by
weight and the cross-linking monomer is N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide,
N,N'-methylenebismethacrylamide, N,N'-(1,2-dihydroxyethlene)bisacrylamide,
1,3-diacrylamide methyl-2-imidazolidone or diacrylamide methylene urea in
an amount of about 0.1 to about 20% by weight. The polymer gel containing
a biocatalyst has excellent storage stability and does not putrefy even
after one month of storage at ordinary temperature.