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Hydrogels are unique supramolecular solid-like assemblies composed mainly of water molecules that are held by molecular networks. Physical hydrogels that are formed by a set of non-covalent interactions to establish a well-ordered scaffold devoid of any chemical cross-linking are especially intriguing for various biotechnological and medical applications. Peptides are particularly interesting building blocks of physical gels because of the role of polypeptides as structural elements in biological systems, the extensive ability for their chemical and biological decoration and functionalization, and the facile synthesis of natural and modified peptides. This review describes the assembly and properties of physical hydrogels that have been formed by the self-association of very simple peptide building blocks. Natural short peptides, as short as dipeptides, can form ordered gel assemblies. Moreover, in the case of N …