In many tissues of the human body, including nerve tissue, the spatial organization of cells plays an important role. Nerve cells and their long protrusions assemble into nerve tracts and transport information throughout the body. When nerve tissue is injured, an accurate spatial orientation of the cells facilitates the healing process. Scientists from the DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials in Aachen developed an injectable gel that can act as a guidance system for nerve cells. They recently published their results, obtained from cell culture experiments, in the journal Nano Letters.