NOVELTY - Formulation (M1) of cells such as yeast or its cell parts comprising mixing composition containing cells with matrix material(s) for absorbing water from composition, is new.    USE - (M1) is useful for drying, preserving, immobilizing and encapsulating living cells, viable cells and/or viable viruses selected from viruses, viral particles, viroids, and/or (bacteria)phages, prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells such as yeast cells, fungal cells, cells of algae, animal cells and/or plant cells and/or parts of cells including organelles. The mixture is used as a (dairy) starter culture, a shaped article for tissue engineering, an encapsulated Bifidobacterium for colon targeting, an oral or mucosal vaccine, an encapsulated cell for hormone secretion, which is optionally used for implantation into a diabetic mammal, an encapsulated probiotic for taste masking or for targeted delivery, an immobilized cell for bioconversion of metabolites or for fermentation, a composition for waste treatment of soil and/or water, a formulation for soil quality improvement, a fertilizer, a formulation for pest control, a composition for diagnostic purposes or an encapsulation for protection against pathogens (claimed). The mixture is used to prepare products to be used for direct consumption, incorporated into foods (functional foods), as starter cultures for food, chemical industry or fermentation technologies, for better storage stability, or resistance.    ADVANTAGE - (M1) enables drying, preserving, immobilizing and encapsulating of living cells with minimal loss of vitality. The mixtures enables easy storage, transportation and handling of cells, and may also be stored for prolonged periods of time without significant reduction of quality and/or significant loss of cell viability. The cells in the encapsulated form can be used as starter cultures providing the ease for growth and decreasing the pre-adapting period that the cells are under shock conditions. The formulation of the mixtures and products can be adjusted to give several release patterns such as triggered release, can be used for targeted delivery of cells for several purposes such as vaccination or applications for functional foods, and can be adjusted to provide gastric resistance. The formulation provides excellent protection against oxygen. Protection against contamination from external environment is enabled. The matrix provides excellent protection because it maintains the cell shape, prevents membranes from fusing, reduces loss of content and acts as a barrier against oxygen uptake and therefore oxidation. The redistribution or replacement of water can be achieved simply by admixing the cells, the matrix and additives.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a mixture of cells and a matrix material obtained from (M1); and    (2) use of the mixture.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows the screw configuration and barrel temperature profile of first barrel of a twin screw co-rotation extruder containing the blend.