Figure 8A. Each silkworm cocoon was sliced into two pieces and delaminated into two foils. A unit of 30g of delaminated cocoons underwent two boiling baths at 98C. In the first bath the silk cocoon unit was added in an aqueous solution of 0.01MNaCO3:3.3g of sodium carbonate (Sigma-Aldrich) in 31 of distilled water for 45min. The second bath consisted of an aqueous solution of 0.004MNaCO2:1.2g of sodium carbonate in 31 of distilled water for 45min. For completely removing sericin and the residual salt, silk fibroin was rinsed out in distilled water, lowering step by step the bath temperature, in order to not expose silk fibroin to high temperature gradients. When room temperature was reached, silk fibroin was further washed in distilled water. The degummed silk fibroin was dried under the hood at room temperature for 48h. Degummed silk fibroin was dissolved in a 9.3MLiBr (Honeywell Fluka, Cat. 746479) previously prepared, at 20% w/v concentration for 3h at 65C in the oven. Silk fibroin must be completely dissolved and appear clear after 3 hours. Successively, Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA, Sigma-Aldrich, 151238) was added in the beaker with this proportion: 1ml of GMA per 4g of silk fibroin. The amount of GMA to add was chosen according to Soon Hee Kim et af, results [29]. The reaction was carried out stirring with 300rpm at 60C for 3h. After reaction the solution appear cloudy. The possible chemical path of the modification is reported in Figure 8B, the formation of a diPhydroxyamide from the primary amine (of the lysine side group) through the nucleo. philic substitution of nitrogen on one carbon atom of the epoxy ring and the consequent ring opening. - The reaction was carried out stirring with 300rpm at 60 ' C tor 3h. After reaction the solution appear cloudv. The mixture obtained was dialyzed against distilled water using a 3.5kDacutotfdialysismembranefor4 davs, in order to rempve excess salt and GMA, which is a tosic reagent. At the end the concentration wis measured by UV spectroscopy (Nanordop 1000, Fischer Scientific), and the sotution was dialyzed again against 25 wi w/y concentrated PECi solution, using a 3.5kDa cutotl dialyais cassette to concentrate Sil MA. The dialysis was stopped dialysis w solution concentration of methacrylated silk ribroin reached 10%w/v