| Start Date: | 3/1/2017 | Start Time: | 4:00 PM |
| End Date: | 3/1/2017 | End Time: | 5:30 PM |
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Event Description
BIOMED Seminar
Title:
Programmable 2-Dimensional Molecular Composites
Speaker:
Melik C. Demirel, PhD
Director, Center for Advanced Fiber Technologies (CRAFT)
Professor of Engineering
Materials Research Institute Institutes for Energy and the Environment
Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
The Pennsylvania State University
Abstract:
Recent advances in nanotechnology of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials combined with parallel improvements in biotechnology and synthetic biology demonstrated that more complex composites materials with properties engineered precisely to optimize performance could be achieved. We propose to create functional programmable materials with user defined physical properties from composites of 2D-layered materials and polymeric proteins. Our approach is based on an ultra-fast microscopy technique to screen molecular morphology of polymeric proteins. These proteins have several advantages as programmable materials: (i) their chain length, sequence, and stereochemistry can be easily controlled, (ii) their molecular structure and morphology is well-defined, (iii) they provide a variety of functional chemistries for conjugation to 2D materials, and (iv) they can be designed to exhibit a variety of physical properties.
The variability of the amino-acid sequences in the polymeric proteins, which will dictate the degree of crystallinity and alignment of the protein layers, are used to control the interactions at the 2D material/protein interface, ultimately dictating the functional physical properties (e.g., electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity) of novel materials and devices.
WATCH WEBCAST
Biosketch:
Professor Demirel is a scientist and entrepreneur with expertise in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and materials science. He is the director of Center for Advanced Fiber Technologies (CRAFT) at Penn State. Dr. Demirel has published over 100 articles in refereed journals including high impact publications (Nature Materials, PNAS and Nature Biotechnology), conference proceedings and patents. He has received numerous national and international awards, as well as educated over 40+ students as a faculty member at Penn State. Details of Prof. Demirel’s biography are available in the following podcast: http://www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-melik-demirel/
Prof. Demirel is well known for his groundbreaking work on bio-inspired programmable materials. His new approach, programmable molecular materials, bridges the interfaces among molecular biology, genomics, biotechnology, mechanics, large-scale computation, materials science, engineering design, and manufacturing. The following research video describes this approach in detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8JqM5jzcwU |
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Location:
Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building (PISB), Room 120, located on the northeast corner of 33rd and Chestnut Streets. |
Audience:
Undergraduate StudentsGraduate StudentsFacultyStaff |
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