FURI | Spring 2024

The Utility and Impact of Sericin as a Novel Biomaterial for Use in Wound Healing

In recent times, the ambiguity surrounding the biocompatibility of silk sericin (produced by Bombyx mori silkworms) has deemed the potential biomaterial as a by-product of the degumming process, despite possessing mechanical and tensile properties equivalent to silk fibroin. This research endeavor strives to determine an optimal degumming process for the extraction of silk sericin from domestically farmed, lab-grown Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons and subsequently developing and implementing an in vitro testing method to assess sericin’s effectiveness in cell adhesion and proliferation, extending its suitability for wound healing technologies.