 Advances in extracting, purifying, and characterizing keratin proteins from hair and wool fibers have led to the development of a keratin-based biomaterials platform with applications in wound healing, drug delivery, tissue engineering, trauma, and medical devices due to their intrinsic biological activity, biocompatibility, and ability to form self-assembled structures that regulate cellular recognition and behavior. This article was authored by Mark Yvandyke and Gillian G. Rouse.