O o d h e a d p u b L i s h I n g L i m I t e d

14.6
Future trends
The future advanced uses of wool keratins lie in two distinct areas. The first
is medical technology. Developments will be driven by science and improved
healing outcomes. Recent academic research into the previously unknown
biological role of keratins in the body, identified through the work of Coulombe,
Omary and others (Kim et al., 2006; Omary and Ku, 2006), has determined
that keratin in the body plays more than a physical role, but is essential in the
transportation of signalling peptides crucial for the growth and differentiation
of cells. Coupled with the developing technology for the creation of medical
devices from keratin, substantial advanced uses of wool will develop in the
medical area. This is already commencing in the areas of wound care and
orthopaedics and the natural evolution into other areas of medical care will
follow.
The second area of advanced use is in industrial technology, and will be
driven by legislation and commercial necessity. With the price of oil on a
sustained sharp increase over recent years, and a flow-on effect to all oil-
derived materials, coupled with harsher environmental legislation being
established globally relating to both carbon neutrality and source and waste
management, the focus on biopolymers will naturally increase sharply. Keratin
is one of nature’s most successful materials; it was evolved to be versatile,
tough and protective, and as a natural protein, there are wide opportunities in
a range of industrial areas. Robust materials, such as plastics, to the less
obvious industrial speciality chemicals that are also derived from a synthetic
backbone, are all a likely development for advanced uses of wool. None of
these future applications requires the fibre to maintain its fibrous form, but
all utilise the complex fundamental structure that the wool fibre is based on.