I used to do work with chitosan, synthetic nacre, and keratin-based biomaterials. While they will have their direct uses we will need a cultural shift if they are to substantially replace petroleum-based materials.
Nice. I've heard a little about chitosan and am aware of keratin but not as a biomaterial. The case the article makes is that functional biomaterials with superior properties have not been made at any scale but that it is on the way.