Vanadia-titania mixed oxide was synthesized by sol-gel method and characterized by several techniques. Texturally, it is formed by mesopores and presents high-specific surface area and controlled porosity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that vanadium is homogeneously distributed in the material. Structurally, it was possible to identify characteristic V=O stretching bands by IR. The analysis of X-ray diffraction showed that the material, particularly vanadium, is highly dispersed. Application experiments were carried out through the immobilization of Serratia rubidae CCT 5732 and Klebsiella marcescens bacteria by adsorption on the surface of mixed oxide. The micrographics revealed that the bacteria were adsorbed on the entire support, with average surface densities of 8.55 x 10(11) cells/m(2) (Serratia rubidae CCT 5732) and 3.40 x 10(11) cells/m(2) (K. marcescens). (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.