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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PALAKKAD
Kanjikode | Palakkad | Kerala - 678623
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Dr. Sovan Lal Das
Mechanical Engineering
sovan@iitpkd.ac.in
Research Area: Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Research Area: Contact Mechanics of Thin Structures, Research Area: Lipid Bilayer Membrane
View Website
CVSovanJune2023.pdf (80.6 KB)
  • 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 - June 2023: 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, 2023

    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

     

    Postdoctoral Scholar:

    Krishnan S (PhD, IIT Kanpur, 2022)

    Former Members:

    Chandra Has (PhD, IIT Bombay): Assistant Professor, GSFC University

    Suhail Rizvi (Ph. D., 2016, IIT Kanpur): Assistant Professor, IIT Hyderabad,

    Subhradeep Roy (M. Tech., 2012, IIT Kanpur): Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering, California State University, Northridge, USA

    Pranav Vyas (M. Tech, 2017, IIT Kanpur): Joined PhD Program in Bioengineering, Stanford University

    Pankaj Singh (M. Tech, 2012, IIT Kanpur): Founding member of Start-up company OrthoFit after finishing PhD from Cornell University in 2017.

    Anish Kumar (Ph. D., 2017, IIT Kanpur); Postdoctoral Scholar, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel,

    Paritosh Mahata (Ph. D., 2016, IIT Kanpur): Assistant Professor, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra

    Laxminarsimha Rao (Ph. D., 2016, IIT Kanpur): Postdoctoral Scholar, JNCASR, Bangalore

    Aishwarya M Kasarla (MS by Research, 2022, IIT Palakkad): Joined PhD Program in Aerospace Engineering, IIT Bombay

    Hemant Singh (M. Tech, 2017, IIT Kanpur): Ogden Consultancy, Gurugram

    Harshit Gangwar (M. Tech, 2016, IIT Kanpur): Launched a start-up Company

    Soumyadipta Das (M. Tech., 2013, IIT Kanpur): Working in Maruti Suzuki Ltd, Gurugram.

    Debapriya Pinaki Mohanty (M. Tech., 2012, IIT Kanpur): Joined PhD program in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University.

    Tanmay Mandal (M. Tech., 2012, IIT Kanpur): Working in Tata Motors, Jamshedpur.

    Vishal Sharma (M. Tech., 2011, IIT Kanpur): Working in Mercedes Benz, Bangalore.

  • Additional Information
    Title
    Sponsored Projects
    Description

    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

     

    Title
    Recent Conferences and Workshops
    Description

    1. 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
    Indentation of geometrically exact adhesive beams
    Krishnan Suryanarayanan , Thiruvelu Bhuvana, Ishan Sharma and Sovan Lal Das
    International Journal of Solids and Structures 279 112348 (2023)
    Granular flow through a vertical axisymmetric pipe
    Mudasir Ul Islam, James T. Jenkins and Sovan Lal Das
    Physical Review Fluids Letters 8 L072301 (2023)
    Mathematical modeling of intracellular calcium in presence of receptor: a homeostatic model for endothelial cell
    Ananta Kumar Nayak, Zhe Gou, Sovan Lal Das, Abdul I. Barakat and Chaouqi Misbah
    Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology 22 217 (2023)
    Extended kinetic theory for granular flow in a vertical chute
    Mudasir Ul Islam, J. T. Jenkins and S. L. Das
    Journal of Fluid Mechanics 950 A13 (2022)
    Islam_Jenkins_DasJFM_950_A13_2022.pdf (2.27 MB)
    Indentation of geometrically exact beams
    Krishnan Suryanarayanan, Ishan Sharma and Sovan Lal Das
    International Journal of Solids and Structures 254-255 111905 (2022)
    Insights into Membrane Curvature Sensing and Membrane Remodeling by Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and Protein Regions
    Chandra Has, P Sivadas and Sovan Lal Das
    The Journal of Membrane Biology (2022)
    On the stability of thin-walled circular cylindrical shells under static and periodic radial loading
    Anish Kumar, Sovan Lal Das, Pankaj Wahi and Krzysztof Kamil Żur
    Journal of Sound and Vibration 527 116872 (2022)
    Sorting of proteins with shape and curvature anisotropy on a lipid bilayer tube
    Pranav Vyas, PB Sunil Kumar and Sovan Lal Das
    Soft Matter 18 1653 (2022)
    Recent developments in membrane curvature sensing and induction by proteins
    Chandra Has and Sovan Lal Das
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects 1865 (10) 129971 (2021)
    Models for membrane curvature sensing of curvature generating proteins
    Sachin Krishnan, T. V., Das, S. L. and Sunil Kumar, P. B
    Pramana - Journal of Physics 94:47 1-7 (2020)
    Transition from curvature sensing to generation in a vesicle driven by protein binding strength and membrane tension
    Sachin Krishnan, T. V., Das, S. L. and Sunil Kumar, P. B
    Soft Matter DOI: 10.1039/C8SM02623H (2019)
    Polygonal deformation of a metallic foil subjected to impact by an axisymmetric indenter
    Mohanty, D. P., Laxminarsimha Rao V., Das, S. L., and Ghatak, A.
    Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology 31 1647 (2017)
    Diffusion mediated coagulation and fragmentation based study of domain formation in lipid bilayer membrane
    Laxminarsimha Rao V., Roy S., and Das, S. L.
    Physica B 505 74 (2017)
    Effect of radial loads on the natural frequencies of thin-walled circular cylindrical shells
    Kumar, A., Das, S. L., and Wahi, P.
    International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 122 37 (2017)
    Generation of Wavy Structure on Lipid Membrane by Peripheral Proteins: A Linear Elastic Analysis
    Mahata, P. and Das, S. L
    FEBS Letters 591 1333 (2017)
    Structure-induced nonlinear viscoelasticity of non-woven fibrous matrices
    Rizvi, Md., S., Pal A., and Das, S. L.
    Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology 15 1641 (2016)
    Sorting of integral membrane proteins mediated by curvature-dependent protein-lipid bilayer interaction
    Božič, B, Das S. L., and Svetina, S.
    Soft Matter 11 2479 (2015)
    Drag force on a liquid domain moving inside a membrane sheet surrounded by aqueous medium
    Laxminarsimha Rao V. and Das, S. L.
    Journal of Fluid Mechanics 779 468 (2015)
    Instabilities of thin circular cylindrical shells under radial loading
    Kumar, A. Das, S. L., and Wahi, P.
    International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 104 174 (2015)
    Two-dimensional convex molecule fluid model for surface adsorption of proteins: Effect of soft interaction on adsorption equilibria
    Mahata, P. and Das, S. L
    Physical Review E 90 062713 (2014)
    Inextensional vibration of zig-zag single-walled carbon nanotubes
    Das, S. L., Mandal, T., and Gupta, S. S.
    International Journal of Solids and Structures 50 2792 (2013)
    Role of membrane addition in animal cell cytokinesis
    Rizvi, Md., S. and Das, S. L.
    Journal of Theoretical Biology 315 139 (2012)
    Curvature sorting of proteins on a cylindrical lipid membrane tether connected to a reservoir
    Singh, P., Mahata, P., Baumgart, T., and Das, S. L.
    Physical Review E 85 051906 (2012)

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