Melik Demirel
Huck Chair in Biomimetic Materials; Pearce Professor of Engineering

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212 Earth and Engineering Sciences
University Park, PA 16802 - mcd18@psu.edu
- 814-863-2270
Research Summary
Prof. Dr. Melik Demirel holds a tenured professor position in engineering at Penn State, and has a decade of experience in biosensors and nanomaterials. Prof. Demirel’s achievements have been recognized, in part, through his receipt of a Young Investigator Award, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, an Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter Junior Fellowship, the Pearce Development Professorship at Penn State, a Boeing Distinguished Speaker Award. Prof. Demirel received his Ph.D. from Carnegine Mellon University and B.S. and M.S. degrees from Bogazici University.
Links
Publication Tags
Proteins Self Assembly Electromagnetic Shielding Electrodes Printing Electric Conductivity Titanium Carbide Nanoparticles Tandem Repeat Sequences Wetting Adhesion Tissue Composite Materials Biomimetics Polymers Temperature Whispering Gallery Modes Self Healing Materials Shielding Thermal Conductivity Rna Stimuli Hydrogels Photonics Biomimetic MaterialsMost Recent Papers
Biosynthetic self-healing materials for soft machines
Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, Melik C. Demirel, Metin Sitti, 2020, Nature Materials on p. 1230-1235
Self-Assembly of Topologically Networked Protein-Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub>MXene Composites
Mert Vural, Haoyue Zhu, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, Benjamin D. Allen, Melik C. Demirel, 2020, ACS Nano on p. 6956-6967
Highly Conductive Self-Healing Biocomposites Based on Protein Mediated Self-Assembly of PEDOT:PSS Films
Yusuke Kikuchi, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Mert Vural, Melik C. Demirel, 2020, ACS Applied Bio Materials on p. 2507-2515
Squid-Inspired Tandem Repeat Proteins: Functional Fibers and Films
A. Francesh, Melik Demirel, 2019, Frontiers in Chemistry on p. 29
Tunable thermal transport and reversible thermal conductivity switching in topologically networked bio-inspired materials
John A. Tomko, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, Madhusudan Tyagi, Benjamin D. Allen, Melik C. Demirel, Patrick E. Hopkins, 2018, Nature Nanotechnology on p. 959-964
Inkjet Printing of Self-Assembled 2D Titanium Carbide and Protein Electrodes for Stimuli-Responsive Electromagnetic Shielding
Mert Vural, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Joan Bars-Pomes, Huihun Jung, Hemanth Gudapati, Christine B. Hatter, Benjamin D. Allen, Babak Anasori, Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat, Yury Gogotsi, Melik C. Demirel, 2018, Advanced Functional Materials
Mechanical Properties of Tandem-Repeat Proteins Are Governed by Network Defects
Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, Mo Segad, Ralph H. Colby, Benjamin D. Allen, Melik C. Demirel, 2018, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering on p. 884-891
Programmable proton conduction in stretchable and self-healing proteins
Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, Michael A. Hickner, Madhusudan Tyagi, Benjamin D. Allen, Melik C. Demirel, 2018, Chemistry of Materials on p. 898-905
Research Update
Abdon Pena-Francesch, Natalia Domeradzka, Huihun Jung, Benjamin Barbu, Mert Vural, Yusuke Kikuchi, Benjamin Allen, Melik Demirel, 2018, APL Materials on p. 010701
Composites of Proteins and 2D Nanomaterials
2018, ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
Most-Cited Papers
Bioinspired directional surfaces for adhesion, wetting, and transport
Matthew J. Hancock, Koray Sekeroglu, Melik C. Demirel, 2012, Advanced Functional Materials on p. 2223-2234
Nanoparticle-based protein detection by optical shift of a resonant microcavity
Miguel A. Santiago-Cordoba, Svetlana V. Boriskina, Frank Vollmer, Melik C. Demirel, 2011, Applied Physics Letters
Accelerating the design of biomimetic materials by integrating RNA-seq with proteomics and materials science
Paul A. Guerette, Shawn Hoon, Yiqi Seow, Manfred Raida, Admir Masic, Fong T. Wong, Vincent H.B. Ho, Kiat Whye Kong, Melik C. Demirel, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Shahrouz Amini, Gavin Z. Tay, Dawei Ding, Ali Miserez, 2013, Nature Biotechnology on p. 908-915
Ultrasensitive detection of a protein by optical trapping in a photonic-plasmonic microcavity
Miguel A. Santiago-Cordoba, Murat Cetinkaya, Svetlana V. Boriskina, Frank Vollmer, Melik C. Demirel, 2012, Journal of Biophotonics on p. 629-638
Emerging technologies for assembly of microscale hydrogels
Umut Atakan Gurkan, Savas Tasoglu, Doga Kavaz, Melik C. Demirel, Utkan Demirci, 2012, Advanced healthcare materials on p. 149-158
Inkjet Printing of Self-Assembled 2D Titanium Carbide and Protein Electrodes for Stimuli-Responsive Electromagnetic Shielding
Mert Vural, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Joan Bars-Pomes, Huihun Jung, Hemanth Gudapati, Christine B. Hatter, Benjamin D. Allen, Babak Anasori, Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat, Yury Gogotsi, Melik C. Demirel, 2018, Advanced Functional Materials
Responsive microgrooves for the formation of harvestable tissue constructs
Halil Tekin, Gozde Ozaydin-Ince, Tonia Tsinman, Karen K. Gleason, Robert Langer, Ali Khademhosseini, Melik C. Demirel, 2011, Langmuir on p. 5671-5679
A stimuli-responsive coaxial nanofilm for burst release
Gozde Ozaydin-Ince, Karen K. Gleason, Melik C. Demirel, 2011, Soft Matter on p. 638-643
Recent advances in nanoscale bioinspired materials
Melik C. Demirel, Murat Cetinkaya, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, 2015, Macromolecular Bioscience on p. 300-311
Transport of a soft cargo on a nanoscale ratchet
Koray Sekeroglu, Umut A. Gurkan, Utkan Demirci, Melik C. Demirel, 2011, Applied Physics Letters
News Articles Featuring Melik Demirel
Jul 28, 2020
Scientists Develop Material that Repairs Itself
Inspired by the pandemic-induced need for durable, clean face masks and other personal protection equipment to prevent the spread of COVID-19, researchers may have developed a biosynthetic polymer material that repairs itself by synthesizing a protein found in squids.
Full Article
Jun 04, 2020
Self-assembling, biomimetic composites possess unusual electrical properties
Sometimes, breaking rules is not a bad thing. Especially when the rules are apparent laws of nature that apply in bulk material, but other forces appear in the nanoscale.
Full Article
Aug 22, 2019
Engineering faculty named senior members of the National Academy of Inventors
Two professors in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics honored for work as inventors.
Full Article
Mar 27, 2019
Scientists working with squid take a bite out of microplastic pollution
A protein found in the ringed teeth of squid could be processed into fibers and films with applications ranging from smart clothing to self-healing and recyclable fabrics that reduce microplastic pollution.
Full Article
Mar 03, 2019
Smart material made from squid teeth a potential plastic alternative
A newly-discovered material made from squid teeth could one day replace man-made fibres like nylon and polyester, according to a review by scientists at Pennsylvania State University.
Full Article
Feb 27, 2019
Lab: Material made from squid teeth could cut plastic pollution in seas
A NEW material made from squid suckers could one day replace man-made fibres such as nylon and polyester. This would help to reduce microplastic pollution in the oceans, as well as paving the way for new possibilities such as self-repairing safety clothing, or garments with built-in, flexible screens.
Full Article
Feb 22, 2019
Squid may help curb micro-plastic pollution
A recently discovered protein, found in squids, could revolutionise materials in a way that would be unattainable with conventional plastic. The study was published in Frontiers in Chemistry.
Full Article
Feb 22, 2019
Protein found in squid forms fibres of sustainable materials
Protein found in ring teeth of squid could be used to make biodegradable materials for ‘smart’ clothes that monitor health, or self-healing recyclable fabrics that reduce microplastic pollution.
Full Article
Feb 22, 2019
Squid Is the New Eco-Friendly Plastic, Study Says
Plastic pollution is devastating the oceans by poisoning animals and contaminating marine environments, but scientists think that the seas may also have a solution to the problem—the tentacles of squid.
Full Article
Feb 22, 2019
Squid tentacles offer pollution solution
Until now squid tentacles have been bad news for other sealife but scientists believe that they could offer a replacement for plastic — and save more fish than they kill.
Full Article