Faculty - Markus J. Buehler

Education

• Postdoctoral Scholar (2004-2005), Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology
• Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) 2004, Materials Science (Chemistry), Max Planck Institute for Metals Research at the University of Stuttgart
• M.S. 2001, Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Tech
• B.S. equiv./pre-diploma 2000, Process and Chemical Engineering, University of Stuttgart

Editorial Activities

Research Interests

Materials science and mechanics of natural and biological protein materials - how protein materials define our body and how they fail catastrophically (fracture, deformation), large-scale atomistic modeling, protein based materials and biopolymers, interaction of chemistry and mechanics, bridging chemical scales to continuum theories of materials, modeling of bio-nano-materials phenomena, multiple-scale simulation, development of multi-scale simulation tools.

Teaching Interests

• Mechanics of materials, materials science, multi-scale modeling and simulation, biomechanics, molecular mechanics.
• Courses Taught:
  • 1.545 Atomistic Modeling and Simulation of Materials and Structures (fall 2008)
  • 3.320 Atomistic Modeling of Materials (guest instructor)
  • 1.050 Engineering Mechanics I
  • 1.021J Introduction to Modeling and Simulation
  • 3.22 Mechanical Properties of Materials
  • 1.978 From Nano to Macro: Introduction to Atomistic Modeling Techniques

Awards and Honors

Selected Publications

1. Y.C. Yung, J. Chae, M.J. Buehler, C. Hunter, D. Mooney, "Cyclic tensile strain triggers a sequence of autocrine and paracrine signaling that regulate angiogenesis in human vascular cells", P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, accepted for publication (in press)
2. S. Uzel, M.J. Buehler, "Nanomechanical sequencing of tropocollagen molecules", Integrative Biology, Vol 1(7), pp. 452-459, 2009
3. T. Ackbarow, D. Sen, C. Thaulow, M.J. Buehler, "Alpha-Helical Protein Networks are Self Protective and Flaw Tolerant”, PLoS ONE, Vol. 4(6), paper # e6015, 2009
4. M.J. Buehler, Y. Yung, “Deformation and failure of protein materials in extreme conditions and disease”, Nature Materials, Vol. 8(3), pp. 175-188, 2009
5. S. Keten, J.F. Alvarado, S. Muftu, M.J. Buehler, "Nanomechanical characterization of the triple beta-helix domain in the cell puncture needle of bacteriophage T4 virus," Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, Vol. 2(1), pp. 66-74, 2009
6. S. Keten and M.J. Buehler, "The strength limit of entropic elasticity in beta-sheet protein domains", Physical Review E, Vol. 78(6), paper number 061913, 2008
7. M.J. Buehler, S. Keten, T. Ackbarow, "Theoretical and computational hierarchical nanomechanics of protein materials: Deformation and fracture", Progress in Materials Science, Vol. 53(8), pp. 1101-1241, 2008
8. S. Keten and M.J. Buehler, "Asymptotic strength limit of hydrogen bond assemblies in proteins at vanishing pulling rates", Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, paper number 198301
9. S. Keten and M.J. Buehler, “Geometric Confinement Governs the Rupture Strength of H-bond Assemblies at a Critical Length Scale”, Nano Letters, Vol. 8(2), 2008
10. T. Ackbarow, X. Chen, S. Keten, M.J. Buehler, “Hierarchies, multiple energy barriers and robustness govern the fracture mechanics of alpha-helical and beta-sheet protein domains”, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 104(42), pp. 16410-16415, 2007 (cover article)
11. M.J. Buehler. H. Tang, A. C.T. van Duin, W.A. Goddard III, “Threshold Crack Speed Controls Dynamical Fracture of Silicon Single Crystals”, Physical Review Letters, Vol. 99, p. 165502, 2007
12. M.J. Buehler and T. Ackbarow, “Fracture mechanics of protein materials”, Materials Today, Vol. 10(9), pp. 46-58, 2007 (cover article)
13. M.J. Buehler and S.Y. Wong, "Entropic elasticity controls nanomechanics of single tropocollagen molecules", Biophys. J., Vol. 93(1), pp. 37-43, 2007
14. M.J. Buehler, "Defining nascent bone by the molecular nanomechanics of  mineralized collagen fibrils", Nanotechnology, Vol. 18, 295102, 2007

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