Andy Sarles

Biography

August 2020-Present
James Conklin Fellow, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

August 2019-Present
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

August 2011 – 2019
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

June 2010 – July 2011
Post-Doctoral Research Scientist, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Personal Website

Education

• PhD, 2010, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• MS, 2006, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• BS, 2004, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Research

• Research interests revolve around the assembly, characterization, and application of biologically inspired and biomolecular material systems for engineered devices. Specific topics of interest include:
  • Biomimetic membranes for sensing, energy conversion, and actuation
  • Uncovering membrane-nanomaterial interactions
  • Soft, reconfigurable materials for neuromorphic computing

Professional Service

• Co-Chair, Emerging Technologies Symposium, ASME SMASIS Conference – 2018
• Member of Materials Research Society (2008-present) and (American Society of Mechanical Engineers (2008-present)
• Symposium Chair and Co-Chair, Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems, ASME Smart Materials Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS) Conferences 2013-2015.
• Secretary, Bioinspired Smart Materials Technical Committee, ASMS Branch within ASME, 2013 – 2015.
• Reviewer: Langmuir, Smart Materials and Structures, Nature Protocols, Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures (JIMSS), Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (JMEMS), Robotica
• Proposal Reviewer for the User Proposal Program at the Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Awards and Recognitions

• Dept. of Mech. Aero. & Biomed. Engr. Outstanding Tenure Track Faculty Award – 2018
• Tickle College of Engineering Professional Promise in Research Award – 2018
• NSF CAREER Award – 2018
• Gary Anderson Early Achievement Award, Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Branch of ASME – 2017
• UT Research Foundation Innovation Award for Technology Licensing – 2016
• 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award – 2015
• College of Engineering Summer Pre-College Service Award – 2014, 2015, 2016
• MABE Tenure Track Outstanding Gradient Faculty Award – 2013

Publications

• Najem, J. S.; Taylor, G. J.; Weiss, R. J.; Hasan, M. S.; Rose, G.; Schuman, C. D.; Belianinov, A.; Collier, C. P.; Sarles, S. A., Memristive Ion Channel-Doped Biomembranes as Synaptic Mimics. ACS Nano 2018, 12 (5), 4702-4711.
• Venkatesan, G. A.; Taylor, G. J.; Basham, C. M.; Brady, N. G.; Collier, C. P.; Sarles, S. A., Evaporation-induced monolayer compression improves droplet interface bilayer formation using unsaturated lipids. Biomicrofluidics 2018, 12, 024101.
• Taylor, G. J.; Heberle, F. A.; Seinfeld, J. S.; Katsaras, J.; Collier, C. P.; Sarles, S. A., Capacitive Detection of Low-Enthalpy, Higher-Order Phase Transitions in Synthetic and Natural Composition Lipid Membranes. Langmuir 2017, 33 (38), 10016-10026.
• Nguyen, M.; Srijanto, B.; Retterer, S.; Collier, C. P.; Sarles, S. A., Hydrodynamic trapping for rapid assembly and in situ electrical characterization of droplet interface bilayer arrays. Lab Chip 2016, 16, 3576-3588.
• Tamaddoni, N.; Taylor, G.; Hepburn, T.; Michael Kilbey, S.; Sarles, S. A., Reversible, voltage-activated formation of biomimetic membranes between triblock copolymer-coated aqueous droplets in good solvents. Soft Matter 2016, 12, 5096 – 5109.
• Venkatesan, G. A.; Sarles, S. A., Droplet immobilization within a polymeric organogel improves lipid bilayer durability and portability. Lab on a Chip 2016, 16, 2116 – 2125.
• Tamaddoni, N.; Sarles, S. A., Toward cell-inspired materials that feel: measurements and modeling of mechanotransduction in droplet-based, multi-membrane arrays. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics 2016, 11(3), 036008.
• Niroomand, H.; Venkatesan, G. A.; Sarles, S. A.; Mukherjee, D.; Khomami, B., Lipid-Detergent Phase Transitions During Detergent-Mediated Liposome Solubilization. Membrane Biol. 2016, 1-16.
• Venkatesan, G. A.; Lee, J.; Barati Farimani, A.; Heiranian, M.; Collier, C. P.; Aluru, N. R.; Sarles, S. A., Adsorption kinetics dictate monolayer self-assembly for both lipid-in and lipid-out approaches to droplet interface bilayer formation. Langmuir 2015, 31(47), 12883-12893.
• Tamaddoni, N.; Freeman, E. C.; Sarles, S. A., Sensitivity and directionality of lipid bilayer mechanotransduction studied using a revised, highly durable membrane-based hair cell sensor. Smart Materials and Structures 2015, 24(6), 065014.
• Taylor, G. J.; Venkatesan, G. A.; Collier, C. P.; Sarles, S. A.; Direct in situ measurement of specific capacitance, monolayer tension, and bilayer tension in a droplet interface bilayer. Soft Matter 2015, 11(38), 7592-7605.
• Mruetusatorn, P.; Polizos, G.; Datskos, P. G.; Taylor, G.; Sarles, S. A.; Boreyko, J. B.; Hayes, D. G.; Collier, C. P., Control of Membrane Permeability in Air-Stable Droplet Interface Bilayers. Langmuir 2015, 31(14), 4224-4231.
• Taylor G. J.; Sarles, S. A., Heating-enabled formation of droplet interface bilayers using Escherichia coli total lipid extract. Langmuir, 2015. 31(1): 325-337.
• Boreyko J. B., Polizos G., Datskos P. G., Sarles S. A., & Collier C. P. Air-stable droplet interface bilayers on oil-infused surfaces. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(21), 7588-7593.
• Mruetusatorn, P.; Boreyko, J. B.; Venkatesan, G. A.; Sarles, S. A.; Hayes, D. G.; Collier, C. P., Dynamic morphologies of microscale droplet interface bilayers. Soft Matter, 10(15), 2530-2538.
• Sarles, S. A., The use of virtual ground to control transmembrane voltages and measure bilayer currents in serial arrays of droplet interface bilayers. Smart Materials and Structures, 2013. 22(9), 094023.
• Boreyko, J. B.; Mruetusatorn, P.; Sarles, S. A.; Retterer, S. T.; Collier, C. P., Evaporation-induced buckling and fission of microscale droplet interface bilayers. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 135(15), 5545-5548.
• Gallena, S.; Tian, W.; Solomon, N. P.; Johnson, A. T.; Vossoughid, J.; Sarles, S. A., Validity of a new respiratory-resistance measurement device to detect glottal-area change. Journal of Voice, 2013. 27(3), 299-304.