Nature inspires and informs the design of new materials. By looking to nature, we can design materials offering desirable properties such as response to environmental stimuli, improved safety, and sustainability. To develop materials with these desirable attributes, our approach involves designing the polymer at the molecular level by incorporating structural building blocks inspired by or derived from nature. By modifying the chemical makeup of these materials, we can tune their responses and thereby engineer materials for diverse applications, such as in drug delivery, sustainable plastic packaging, and membranes.