Diseased states are typically characterized by the presence or absence of a biomarker. These biomarkers may be general characteristics of the environment (i.e. stiffness, pH) or specific biomacromolecules (i.e. peptides, nucleic acids, proteins, cell receptors). In this seminar, I will discuss synthetic strategies for generating nanoscale hydrogels that recognize and respond to multiple biological stimuli. These multi-responsive nanomaterials are useful for (i) actuating biological signals, (ii) targeting drug delivery, and (iii) facilitating tissue regeneration.