Self-protecting polymer nanofibers mimic how living cells survive Researechers have developed a synthetic fibre system inspired by the cellular cytoskeleton that protects itself through controlled bundling. In dilute aqueous solution, these building blocks spontaneously assemble into nanofibres. Crucially, this higher-order organisation protects the otherwise fragile building blocks, just as in the cytoskeleton. Once irradiation ceases, the bundles dissociate and the building blocks disintegrate under acidic conditions. Even in the hydrogel state, the building blocks remain protected against acid and chemical attack.