Peptide self-assembly continuously manifests the transcendence of supramolecular chemistry into bioinspired functional materials. In a pioneering discovery, researchers unveil how a tripeptide, YYY (Y = tyrosine), with water as co-architect, self-assembles into a transparent, rigid, amorphous ‘peptide glass’. The glass thus obtained offers optical clarity, strong adhesion, humidity-responsive flexibility, and rapid self-healing through reversible hydrogen bonding. This discovery blurs the boundary between the living and the synthetic, exemplifying the formation of glass-like materials grown in water, rather than forged in fire, utilizing elementary biomolecules, heralding to a future of self-healing, recyclable and sustainable designs.
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