Self-assembly of Peptide-Based Materials

Nanomaterials made from the self-assembly of peptides have ideal properties for many uses such as medical implants, except that they are easily broken down in the body. This thesis developed methods to use non-natural building blocks to produce a new family of peptide-based nanomaterials via self-assembly. The unique materials can be engineered to give a range of shapes and sizes and importantly are not broken down in the body. These materials therefore provide a new platform for biomedical applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug delivery.