Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogel Materials—From Lab to Commercialization

Progressive efforts are been made to develop increasingly complex soft materials, driven by both fundamental curiosity and by urgent unmet clinical needs of an increasingly aging population. Self-assembling peptides have captivated attention as a key building block for the design of soft matter as they are inherently biocompatible and allow the design of stable, versatile hydrogels for use in a variety of biomedical applications. Here, I will discuss our platform technology for the design of hydrogels exploiting the self-assembly of short (8-12 amino acids) β-sheet forming peptides, and emerging themes in understanding and controlling their self-assembly and processability to create unique nanostructures and with tunable functionality, at scale. I will go onto exemplify how they are being translated from the lab into the clinic and finding application as supports for tissue regeneration, drug discovery, scaffolds for organoid manufacture and as vehicles for targeted drug delivery through commercial venture.