-
Biosketch
Education:
Ph. D., Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Cornell University, 2007.
M. Sc. (Engg.): Mechanical Engineering, IISc, Bangalore, 2002
B. E.: Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, 1999.
Experience:
December 2018 - Present: Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Palakkad
December 2016 - December 2018: Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur
January 2015 - July 2015: Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Delhi
June 2014 - December 2016: Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
November 2009 - June 2014: Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
October 2008 - October 2009: Senior Research Engineer, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Technology, Akron, OH, USA.
January 2007 - Sepember 2008: Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Mathematics, Penn State University, USA.
August 1999 - July 2000: Graduate Trainee Engineer, L&T Ltd, India.
-
Research
Overview:
Main focus of our group is developing and/or applying continuum theory (mechanics and thermodynamics) based models and perform experiments to elucidate the role of cell membrane and its mechanical properties in various cell-biological processes. Membranes in a cell are primarily made of lipid bilayer. Understanding the role of lipid bilayer in the functionality of animal cells is key towards the knowhow of fundamental cell biological processes. It is believed that the membrane actively controls its curvature and composition to influence cellular processes such as signaling between proteins, sorting of proteins and lipids, adhesion. One of the key questions in biology is how the complex shapes in organelle such as Golgi network and endoplasmic reticulum are generated and maintained, and how they relate to cell function? Several membrane bound proteins are known to actively participate in generating, regulating and sensing membrane curvature. We have developed mechanics-thermodynamics based models for such curvature sorting of proteins in a biophysical system consisting of a cylindrical membrane tube connected to a giant lipid bilayer vesicle.
Mechanical properties of a membrane play key role in processes such as adhesion and motion of microdomains in lipid bilayer. An important question in mechanics is how adhesion influences the physical behavior of thin structures like vesicles and cells. We will be developing a paradigm for modeling adhesion of soft structures (not just limited to biological membrane) that can deform and rotate by large amounts. Our study will find use in many other areas such as contact of polymers, thin optical fibers, design of novel adhesives.
Apart from the membrane mechanics research, we have also been involved in collaborative studies on the parametric instability of cylindrical shells, low velocity impact on a layered composite films made of soft and stiff layers, standing waves in tires and inextensional vibration of carbon nanotubes using nonlocal elasticity theories.
-
Teaching
ME1020, Engineering Thermodynamics, IIT Palakkad, 2022
ME5615, Solid Mechanics, IIT Palakkad, 2020, 2022
ME3060, Machine Design Practice, IIT Palakkad, 2020
ME5011, Mathematics for Engineers, IIT Palakkad, 2019, 2020, 2021
ME1130, Engineering Drawing, IIT Palakkad, 2019, 2022
CE1020, Engineering Mechanics, IIT Palakkad, 2019, 2021
ME10001, Mechanics, IIT Kharagpur, 2017, 2018
ME352, Theory of Mechanisms and Machines, IIT Kanpur 2016.
ESO209, Dynamics, IIT Kanpur 2016.
ME622, Introduction to Continuum Mechanics, IIT Kanpur, 2016.
ME721, Theory of Plasticity, IIT Kanpur, 2015.
ME 724, Mechanics of Biological Membranes, IIT Kanpur, 2011 & 2014.
ME30602, Design of Machine Elements, IIT Kharagpur, 2017, 2018
ME351, Design of Machine Elements, IIT Kanpur, 2014, 2016
ME 781, Approximate Methods in Engineering Mathematics, IIT Kanpur, 2013.
ME471, Mechanical Engineering Lab (Solid Mechanics), IIT Kanpur, 2013.
BSE 314, Biomechanics, IIT Kanpur, 2012 & 2013.
ME 622, Theory of Elasticity, IIT Kanpur, 2011.
ME 621, Introduction to Solid Mechanics, IIT Kanpur, 2010.
ME 652, Principles of Dynamics, IIT Kanpur, 2010.
MATH 220, Linear Algebra, Penn State University, 2007 & 2008.
MATH 140, Calculus, Penn State University, 2007.
MATH 191, Calculus, Cornell University, 2006.
-
Research Group
Current Students:
Mudassir Ul Islam (Ph. D. Candidate at IIT Palakkad)
Sivadas P (Ph. D. Candidate at IIT Palakkad)
Ananta Kumar Nayak (Ph. D. Candidate at CNRS, Grenoble, France) - Supervisor Prof. Chaouqi Misbah
Krishnan S (Ph. D. Candidate at IIT Kanpur) - Supervisor Dr. Ishan Sharma
Postdoctoral Scholar:
Chandra Has (PhD, IIT Bombay)
Former Students:
Suhail Rizvi (Ph. D., 2016): Assistant Professor, IIT Hyderabad,
Subhradeep Roy (M. Tech., 2012): Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering, California State University, Northridge, USA
Pranav Vyas (M. Tech, 2017): Joined PhD Program in Bioengineering, Stanford University
Pankaj Singh (M. Tech, 2012): Founding member of Start-up company OrthoFit after finishing PhD from Cornell University in 2017.
Anish Kumar (Ph. D., 2017); Postdoctoral Scholar, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel,
Paritosh Mahata (Ph. D., 2016): Assistant Professor, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
Laxminarsimha Rao (Ph. D., 2016): Postdoctoral Scholar, JNCASR, Bangalore
Aishwarya M Kasarla (MS by Research, 2022): Joined PhD Program in Aerospace Engineering, IIT Bombay
Hemant Singh (M. Tech, 2017): Ogden Consultancy, Gurugram
Harshit Gangwar (M. Tech, 2016): Launched a start-up Company
Soumyadipta Das (M. Tech., 2013): Working in Maruti Suzuki Ltd, Gurugram.
Debapriya Pinaki Mohanty (M. Tech., 2012): Joined PhD program in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University.
Tanmay Mandal (M. Tech., 2012): Working in Tata Motors, Jamshedpur.
Vishal Sharma (M. Tech., 2011): Working in Mercedes Benz, Bangalore.
-
Additional Information
TitleSponsored ProjectsDescription
Estimation of the thermal contact conductance of realistic spacecraft bolted joints (with Samarjeet Chanda), ISRO, 2021-2023
Study of the interaction between synthetic sequence-defined macromolecules and lipid membrane towards developing antibacterial and anticancer drug (with Mintu Porel), MHRD, STARS Scheme, 2020-2023.
Contact mechanics of soft and thin adhesive structures, DST, 2018-2021 (PI: I Sharma, IIT Kanpur)
Membrane curvature sensing and generation by proteins in lipid bilayer membrane, DBT, 2015-2018, (Co-PI: P. B. Sunil Kumar, IIT Madras and S. Matheshwaran, IIT Kanpur)
Motion and Interactions of Domains in Fluid Lipid Membranes, SERB, DST, 2012-2015
TitleRecent Conferences and WorkshopsDescription1. Co-Chair, Session on Surfactants and Membranes in CompFlu2019, December 5-7, 2019, IISER, Bhopal, India.
2. Co-Organizer, Pravartana-Symposium on Applied Mechanics, March 31-April 01, 2019, IIT Kanpur, India.
-
Publications
Mudasir Ul Islam, J. T. Jenkins and S. L. DasJournal of Fluid Mechanics 950 A13 (2022)Islam_Jenkins_DasJFM_950_A13_2022.pdf (2.27 MB)Ananta Kumar Nayak, Zhe Gou, Sovan Lal Das, Abdul I. Barakat and Chaouqi MisbahBiomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology (2022)Krishnan Suryanarayanan, Ishan Sharma and Sovan Lal DasInternational Journal of Solids and Structures 254-255 111905 (2022)Chandra Has, P Sivadas and Sovan Lal DasThe Journal of Membrane Biology (2022)Anish Kumar, Sovan Lal Das, Pankaj Wahi and Krzysztof Kamil ŻurJournal of Sound and Vibration 527 116872 (2022)Pranav Vyas, PB Sunil Kumar and Sovan Lal DasSoft Matter 18 1653 (2022)Chandra Has and Sovan Lal DasBiochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects 1865 (10) 129971 (2021)Sachin Krishnan, T. V., Das, S. L. and Sunil Kumar, P. BPramana - Journal of Physics 94:47 1-7 (2020)Sachin Krishnan, T. V., Das, S. L. and Sunil Kumar, P. BSoft Matter DOI: 10.1039/C8SM02623H (2019)Mohanty, D. P., Laxminarsimha Rao V., Das, S. L., and Ghatak, A.Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology 31 1647 (2017)Laxminarsimha Rao V., Roy S., and Das, S. L.Physica B 505 74 (2017)Kumar, A., Das, S. L., and Wahi, P.International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 122 37 (2017)Mahata, P. and Das, S. LFEBS Letters 591 1333 (2017)Rizvi, Md., S., Pal A., and Das, S. L.Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology 15 1641 (2016)Božič, B, Das S. L., and Svetina, S.Soft Matter 11 2479 (2015)Laxminarsimha Rao V. and Das, S. L.Journal of Fluid Mechanics 779 468 (2015)Kumar, A. Das, S. L., and Wahi, P.International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 104 174 (2015)Mahata, P. and Das, S. LPhysical Review E 90 062713 (2014)Das, S. L., Mandal, T., and Gupta, S. S.International Journal of Solids and Structures 50 2792 (2013)Rizvi, Md., S. and Das, S. L.Journal of Theoretical Biology 315 139 (2012)Singh, P., Mahata, P., Baumgart, T., and Das, S. L.Physical Review E 85 051906 (2012)
