The life time of immobilized Pichia stipitis yeast cells was prolonged greatly when the gel was formed with manganese alginate compared to that with calcium alginate.The ability of enduring phosphate of manganese alginate gel was increased 3 times than that of calcium alginate gel.Fermentation of glucosexylose mixture to ethanol was investigated in 250 mL shakeflask at 35 ℃,pH 5.0 and 150 r/min.Glucosexylose mixture could be cofermented to ethanol by immobilized Pichia stipitis yeast cells of manganese alginate.The results showed that immobilized cells of manganese alginate gel were still definite when fermentation of ethanol lasted 42 d,and utilization ratio of total sugar was 95.8%,yield of ethanol reached 92.3% of theoretical.While fermentation of ethanol by immobilized Pichia stipitis yeast cells of aluminum alginate only lasted 24 d.It provided the basis of theory for producing ethanol with immobilized cells in industry.