Contact Information

C.V.

Biography

Dr. Melikhan Tanyeri received his B.S. degree from Bogazici University in 1999, and his Ph.D. degree from University of California, Davis in 2006. During 2006-2012, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Charles Schroeder at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Between 2013-2016, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Istanbul Sehir University. After a brief research scientist position at University of Chicago, he joined Department of Engineering as an assistant professor of biomedical engineering.


His research interests include microfluidics, chemical and biomolecular sensors, and high-resolution imaging. His research accomplishments include the first demonstration of lasing spherical microdroplets in a microfabricated device. He developed chemical and biological sensor platforms based on micro and nanoscale optofluidic systems. More recently, he established a new class of microfluidic tools for single particle and cell manipulation towards applications in nano- and biotechnology.

Education

  • Ph.D., Physics, University of California, Davis, 2006
  • BS, Physics, Bogazici University

Areas of Expertise

  • Biomedical microdevices, micro and nanosystems for biology and medicine
  • Microfluidics, bioMEMS/NEMS, in vitro diagnostics, lab-on-a-chip, biosensors
  • Detection and manipulation techniques for biomolecules, cells and microorganisms
  • Microfabrication, soft lithography, micropatterning
    Superresolution imaging, fluorescence spectroscopy

School

About

We employ micro and nanoscale tools/systems and state-of-the-art optical microscopy techniques towards challenges in biosensors, point-of-care diagnostics, and mechanics & dynamics of biomolecules and cells. My current research group has extensive background in microfabrication, micropatterning, soft lithography microfluidics, brightfield, fluorescence and superresolution microscopy, cell-material interactions, and development & applications of novel sensors and actuators. We design and implement methods, assays, and devices at the micro- and nanoscale for highly sensitive detection, confinement, and manipulation of molecules and cells. Below, I provide a few examples of projects that we are currently pursuing:

• Portable blood coagulation analysis systems
• Microfluidic trapping, manipulation and separation of biomolecules and cells
• High throughput analysis of single cell behavior
• Early detection of bacteria
• Microfluidic platforms for studying single cell mechanotransduction

Overall, we pursue a multidisciplinary, applied research program in developing optofluidic tools and techniques to address current challenges in bio/nanotechnology.
I embrace the "educate, inspire, engage" approach. My overall objective in teaching and advising (mentoring) is to foster a positive learning environment in order to engage students in acquiring, testing and generating knowledge, and to attain skills indispensable for establishing themselves as distinguished individuals of the next generation of engineers. I envision my role as a teacher/mentor to motivate students by curbing their enthusiasm and stimulating their interest; and eventually empower them to think creatively and independently.

I teach the following courses under our undergraduate and graduate programs in Biomedical Engineering:

BMED 110 Introduction to Programming for Engineers
BMED 310 Biomedical Signals and Systems
BMED 451/551 Biomedical Microdevices I
BMED 452/552 Biomedical Microdevices II

Synopsis: 2 book chapters, 16 journal articles, 10 conference proceedings, 4 patents. Selected publications are given below:

1. Mustafa A, Eser A, Aksu AC, Kiraz A, Tanyeri M, Erten A, and Yalcin O
"A micropillar-based microfluidic viscometer for Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids"
Analytica Chimica Acta, (2020) 1135 107-115.

2. Watterson WJ, Tanyeri M, Watson AR, Cham CM, Shan Y, Chang EB, Eren AM, and Tay S
"Droplet-based high-throughput cultivation for accurate screening of antibiotic resistant gut microbes"
eLife, (2020) 9:e56998.

3. Evans A, Sutton K, Hernandez S, and Tanyeri M
"Viscoelastic Hemostatic Assays - A Quest for Holy Grail of Coagulation Monitoring in Trauma Care"
Journal of Annals of Bioengineering, (2019) (1): 61-64.

4. Tanyeri M, and Tay S
"Viable cell culture in PDMS-based microfluidic devices"
Methods in Cell Biology, Volume 148
Microfluidics in Cell Biology Part C: Microfluidics for Cellular and Subcellular Analysis (2018)
Editors: Daniel A. Fletcher, Junsang Doh and Matthieu Piel, ISBN: 978-0-12-814284-4, Elsevier.

5. Mustafa A, Erten A, Ayaz R, Kayillioglu O, Eser A, Irfan M, Muradoglu M, Tanyeri M, and Kiraz A
"Enhanced dissolution of liquid microdroplets in the extensional creeping flow of a hydrodynamic trap"
Langmuir (2016) 32 (37) 9460-9467.

6. Johnson-Chavarria EM, Agrawal U, Tanyeri M, Kuhlman TE, and Schroeder CM
"Automated single cell microbioreactor for monitoring intracellular dynamics and cell growth in free solution"
Lab on a Chip (2014) 14 (15) 2688-2697.

7. Marciel AB, Tanyeri M, Wall BD, Tovar JD, Schroeder CM, and Wilson WL
"Fluidic-directed assembly of aligned oligopeptides with π-conjugated cores"
Advanced Materials (2013) 25 (44) 6398-6404.

8. Tanyeri M, and Schroeder CM
"Manipulation and confinement of single particles using fluid flow"
Nano Letters (2013) 13 (6) 2357-2364.

9. Kim Y, Kim SH, Tanyeri M, Katzenellenbogen JA, and Schroeder CM
"Dendrimer probes for enhanced photostability and localization in fluorescence imaging"
Biophysical Journal (2013) 104 (7) 1566-1575.

10. Tanyeri M, Ranka M, Sittipolkul N, and Schroeder CM
"A microfluidic-based hydrodynamic trap: Design and implementation"
Lab on a Chip (2011) 11 (10) 1786-1794.
(selected for the May 23, 2011 issue of Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science & Technology)

11. Schudel BR, Tanyeri M, Mukherjee A, Schroeder CM, and Kenis PJA
"Multiplexed detection of nucleic acids in a combinatorial screening chip"
Lab on a Chip (2011) 11 (11) 1916-1923.

12. Tanyeri M, Perron R, and Kennedy IM
"Lasing droplets in a microfabricated channel"
Optics Letters (2007) Vol. 32 Issue 17 p. 2529-2531.
(highlighted in photonics.com and Photonics Spectra, October 2007)

Presentations
Selected recent presentations are listed below:

Invited:
1. "Hydrodynamic Trap: A new microfluidic tool for studying soft matter"
Carnegie Mellon University, Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces Seminar
Pittsburgh, PA (March 9, 2018)

2. "Observation of droplet dissolution in aqueous media using a hydrodynamic trap"
3rd World Chemistry Conference
Dallas, TX (September 11-12, 2017)

3. "Micro and nanoscale systems for biophysical studies"
Department of Physics, University of Texas-Pan American
Edinburg, TX (April 15, 2013)

4. "Micro and nanoscale systems for biotechnology and medicine"
Department of Electrical Engineering, Kettering University
Flint, MI (March 13, 2013)

Contributed:
1. "Dual Hydrodynamic Trap" (oral)
American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting
Presenter: Jarrett Boyd
San Francisco, CA (November 15-20, 2020)

2. "Dual particle trapping using a microfluidic trap" (poster)
Virtual EMBL Conference: Microfluidics: Designing the Next Wave of Biological Inquiry
Presenter: Jarrett Boyd
Virtual/Heidelberg, Germany (July 13-15, 2020)

3. "High-throughput isolation and sorting of gut microbes reduce biases of traditional cultivation strategies" (poster)
ASM (American Society of Microbiology) Microbe 2020
Presenter: William J. Watterson
Chicago, IL, (June 18-22, 2020)

4. "Microfluidic Viscoelastic Hemostatic Assay" (oral)
Advanced Biomedical Strategies for Defense Applications Symposium
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA (March 13, 2019)

5. "Enhanced Dissolution of Liquid Microdroplets Under Planar Extensional Flow" (oral)
American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting
Pittsburgh, PA (October 28 - November 2, 2018)

6. "Micro and nanosystems for biotechnology and health applications" (oral)
UK-Turkey Researcher Links Workshop on Electrochemical Nucleic Acid-Based Biosensors/Microfluidic Devices for Healthcare Applications
University of Bath, Bath UK (September 5-8, 2016)

7. "Flow-Induced Dissolution of Oil Microdroplets under Planar Extensional Flow" (poster)
World Congress on Biosensors 2016
Gothenburg, Sweden (May 25-27, 2016)

8. "Flow-Induced Dissolution in Hydrodynamically Trapped Oil Microdroplets" (poster)
Gordon Research Conference on Physics and Chemistry of Microfluidics
Mount Snow, West Dover, VT (May 31 - June 5, 2015)

9. "Flow-Induced Dissolution and Dye Lasing in Hydrodynamically Trapped Oil Microdroplets" (oral)
COST MP1205 (Advances in Optofluidics: Integration of Optical Control and Photonics with Microfluidics) General Meeting and Conference
Porto, Portugal (May 7-8, 2015)

10. "Confinement of single macromolecules in free solution using a hydrodynamic trap" (oral)
SPIE Photonics West 2014, Microfluidics, BioMEMS, and Medical Microsystems XII
San Jose, CA (February 2-6, 2014)