Research in the area of tissue engineering has witnessed tremendous progress in recent years due to its potential to improve human health. The basic principle is to combine the appropriate cells with a polymeric scaffold that leads to in vitro tissue formation. However, the available matrix materials used to date are very limited, and tailor made scaffolds geared toward specific applications have been lacking. We are interested in developing intelligent biomaterials that closely mimic the molecular composition, mechanical responsiveness, and nanoscale organizations of the natural extracellular matrices (ECM). These novel biomaterials, combined with defined biophysical cues and biological factors, are essential for functional tissue regeneration.