 This research has demonstrated the potential for creating hydrogels with improved mechanical properties by manipulating the structure of the material on a molecular level. By designing a new type of hydrogel composed of picofibers made from copperbound self-assembling peptids, the researchers were able to create a material with high strength, good toughness, high fatigue threshold, and rapid recovery, which can compare favorably to or even surpass the mechanical properties of articular cartilage. This could have important implications in the field of tissue engineering, where these types of hydrogels could potentially be used as scaffolding for regenerative medicine applications. This article was authored by Binshwe, Zubia Bashir, Yachengwa, and others.