*2.2. Gelation Kinetics*

Gelation of the protein solutions and blends was investigated using the change of turbidity, as the gelation is associated with fibril assembly causing light scattering [5,10]. 2% and 3% *w*/*v* SF and eADF4(C16) solutions were prepared and mixed at the volume ratio of SF:eADF4(C16) of 10:0, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7 and 0:10. The effects of different buffers, including Dulbecco s Modified Eagle s Medium (DMEM), phosphate buffer saline (PBS), and normal saline solution (NSS), on the gelation kinetics were investigated by supplementing the protein mixtures with 10X concentrated solutions. The samples were prepared from the sterile stock solutions using aseptic techniques to avoid microbial contamination. 100 μL of the mixtures were transferred to a 96-well plate, and the change of visible light absorption at 550 nm was measured using a microplate reader (FLUOstar Omega, BMG Labtech, Ortenberg, Germany). The temperature was controlled at 37 ◦C, and the microplate was sealed to prevent water evaporation. The measurement was conducted every 15 min for 40 h.
