Cationic antimicrobials have been used to fight infection for decades.Their mechanism of action limits development of microbial resistance.Amicrobe has developed long-chain, cationic block copolypeptide hydrogels with potent antimicrobial activity.Initial data suggest that these hydrogels are broadly antimicrobial, effective in surgical site infection (SSI) models, and biocompatible with tissues.An advantage of our synthetic approach is the ability to engineer chem. and phys. characteristics (e.g.hierarchical structures) that may improve efficacy and safety.Notably, these phys. hydrogels are not covalently cross-linked and, therefore, can flow upon (mild) deformation to fill wound cavities and rapidly re-gel.A lead candidate, A.GEL-1, has been shown to be antimicrobial, stable to various media, easy to apply, and biodegradable.We anticipate that A.GEL-1 will significantly reduce the occurrence of SSIs, as well as help prevent and treat infections of traumatic and chronic wounds.