In 2002, Yamauchi’s group enhanced the mechanical properties of their glycerol containing keratin
films by the addition of chitosan. Chitosan is a well investigated biomolecule for biomaterial
applications, and is known to possess high biocompatibility and biological function for wound healing
and antibacterial activity. Addition of chitosan into the keratin films resulted in improved mechanical
strength. Furthermore, the chitosan-keratin films also demonstrated antibacterial properties and were
shown to be good substrates for cell culture