Self-Assembling Hydrogels

The overview focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of peptide/protein-containing polymers, which self-assemble into stimuli-sensitive hydrogels. Hybrid hydrogels are composed of two classes of molecules, synthetic and biological. They self-assemble from graft copolymers, block copolymers and by association of soluble polymers and protein domains. Genetic engineering provides a powerful tool to produce biomaterials (macromolecules) with precise control of composition, length, and three-dimensional structure. Minimal changes in the composition of the coiled-coil forming protein domains in genetically produced triblock copolypeptides result in dramatic changes in the properties of the copolymers and, ultimately, the self-assembled hydrogels. The application of self-assembling hydrogels as biomaterials has been investigated and has shown a promising future.