Tunable mechanical properties of ultrasmall peptide hydrogels by crosslinking and functionalization to achieve the 3D distribution of cells.

A disulfide-crosslinked hydrogel made from ultrasmall peptides is introduced. Crosslinked gels are more elastic and better able to maintain shape integrity. Using facile chemistry, RGD (or other bioactive signals) can be conjugated onto the peptide fibers. Gels formed are biocompatible and support the three-dimensional distribution of cells.