Melik Demirel

Huck Chair in Biomimetic Materials; Pearce Professor of Engineering

Melik Demirel

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.

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Publication Tags

Proteins Protein Self Assembly Application Tandem Repeat Sequences Biomimetics Polymers Self Healing Materials Hydration Composite Materials Thermal Conductivity Fibers Strength Adhesion Liquid Film Nanostructures Electric Conductivity Nanomaterial Electrodes Nanoparticles Proteomics Biomimetic Materials Printing Photonics Hydrogels

Most Recent Publications

Diffusive Dynamic Modes of Recombinant Squid Ring Teeth Proteins by Neutron Spectroscopy

Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, Madhusudan Tyagi, Melik C. Demirel, 2022, Biomacromolecules on p. 3165-3173

Bioinspired stretchable molecular composites of 2D-layered materials and tandem repeat proteins

Mert Vural, Tarek Mazeed, Dong Li, Oguzhan Colak, Reginald F. Hamilton, Huajian Gao, Melik C. Demirel, 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Enhancing sustainability and elasticity of synthetic fibers by tandem repeat proteins

Burcu Dursun, Tarek El Sayed Mazeed, Oguzhan Colak, Ramiz Boy, Melik C. Demirel, 2022, Smart Materials and Structures

Dielectrophoretic separation of randomly shaped protein particles

Tae Joon Kwak, Huihun Jung, Benjamin D. Allen, Melik C. Demirel, Woo Jin Chang, 2021, Gas Separation and Purification

Hydration-Induced Structural Transitions in Biomimetic Tandem Repeat Proteins

Romeo C.A. Dubini, Huihun Jung, Chloe H. Skidmore, Melik C. Demirel, Petra Rovó, 2021, Journal of Physical Chemistry B on p. 2134-2145

Protein Based Biomimetic Materials

Melik C. Demirel, 2021,

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

Melik C. Demirel, 2020, on p. 130-153

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

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

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 T. Ozbolat, Yury Gogotsi, Melik C. Demirel, 2018, Advanced Functional Materials

Biosynthetic self-healing materials for soft machines

Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, Melik C. Demirel, Metin Sitti, 2020, Nature Materials on p. 1230-1235

3D Printing of PDMS Improves Its Mechanical and Cell Adhesion Properties

Veli Ozbolat, Madhuri Dey, Bugra Ayan, Adomas Povilianskas, Melik C. Demirel, Ibrahim T. Ozbolat, 2018, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering on p. 682-693

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

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

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

Molecular tandem repeat strategy for elucidating mechanical properties of high-strength proteins

Huihun Jung, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Alham Saadat, Aswathy Sebastian, Dong Hwan Kim, Reginald F. Hamilton, Istvan Albert, Benjamin D. Allen, Melik C. Demirel, 2016, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. 6478-83

Recent advances in nanoscale bioinspired materials

Melik C. Demirel, Murat Cetinkaya, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Huihun Jung, 2015, Macromolecular Bioscience on p. 300-311

News Articles Featuring Melik Demirel

Jul 25, 2022

Nature-inspired protein creates stretchable, composite layered materials

Using biomimetic proteins patterned on squid ring teeth, circular appendages on the tentacles of squid that are used to grasp prey, researchers have created composite, layered 2D materials that are resistant to breaking and extremely stretchable.

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Jul 26, 2021

From waste to wear: How squid may be key to material revolution

With elongated bodies, large eyes and a combination of arms and tentacles, squid appear alien. In reality, they are one of the oldest classes of animals on the planet. Squid evolved during the Jurassic period and now appear in every ocean around the world. Now, nearly two and a half millennia later, squid may be the answer to a modern dilemma — plastic pollution.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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