Final answer:
The most versatile method for sterilizing heat-sensitive liquids is moist-heat sterilization using an autoclave, which uses high pressure and temperature to kill all forms of microbial life without damaging the materials.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most versatile method for sterilizing heat-sensitive liquids is moist-heat sterilization using an autoclave. Autoclaves utilize high pressure and temperature to achieve sterilization, effectively killing vegetative cells, viruses, and especially resistant endospores, without damaging the items being sterilized. In the history of sterilization, although Charles Chamberland was credited with designing the modern autoclave in 1879, innovations and applications of the technology continue to be important in laboratory, medical, and food industry settings. Besides autoclaving, other methods such as filtration and ionizing radiation are also applied to sterilize heat-sensitive materials, but they are not as versatile as autoclaving in terms of the types of materials and liquids that can be sterilized.