(6ka) Membrane Remodelling by Proteins and Self-Assembled Nanostructure

margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:60.2pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal">Title: Membrane
remodelling by proteins and self-assembled -.2pt"> nanostructure

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">Amir .75pt"> H.  Bahrami,  Gauss  Fellow,  Department
 of  Living
 Matter .7pt"> Physics,  Max  Planck  Institute
 of

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">Dynamics -.3pt"> and Self-organisati " times new roman>on, Göttinge " times new roman>n, Germany.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.7pt"> " times new roman>amir.bahrami@ds.mpg.de

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:9.5pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">Carol .15pt"> Hall, Department -.05pt"> of Chemical and Biomolecular -.15pt"> Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh,
North

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">Carolina, -.4pt"> USA.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.7pt">hall@ncsu.edu

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:9.5pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal">Abstract

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">Membrane .35pt"> remodelling plays a critical role in many physical and biological/cellular
processes including synthetic biology, drug deliver -.7pt">y, cellular uptake of
nano containers, and self-assembly of nanostructures -.45pt"> at membrane interface.
The atomistic .2pt"> membrane simulations are however extremely
slow to .55pt"> simulate membrane behaviour at large time and length scales. We have developed a triangulated
coarse-grained membrane model which is capable of rapid and efficient simulation
of membrane remodelling. -.9pt">We performed Monte Carlo simulations of the model to investigate .05pt"> membrane interaction with nanoparticles and 1.05pt"> proteins. We report tubular membrane structures .75pt"> induced by adsorbed
nanoparticles on vesicles
[1] and investigate the role of membrane
curvature [2,3] and size and shape of the particles
[4] on .45pt"> cellular uptake of the particles. We also show how membrane curvature
determines pairwise interactions .15pt"> induced between adsorbed Janus nanoparticles on the vesicles
[5] and .35pt"> reveal that the area fraction
of the .25pt"> adhesive Janus particle surface
is an -.05pt"> important control parameter
for the assembly of the
particles [5].

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">We
also performed simulations .15pt"> to understand how tubular membrane structures .1pt"> of the Endoplasmic reticulum , Golgi, mitochondria, -.5pt"> and other cellular
organelles are created and maintained. Our simulations
show that 1.35pt"> the membrane area growth and volume reduction 1.2pt"> can induce tubular
membrane structure in concert -.3pt"> with curved proteins
previously found to shape these tubules
[6].

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">We
use our .45pt"> model to simulate
membrane remodelling induced by protein molecules
in biological processes. Our simulations reveal the scaffolding role of
Atg protein .35pt"> complexes in autophagosome biogenesis in autophag -.7pt">y, a critical physiological -.35pt"> process winning the Nobel prize
of medicine in 2016.
We show .5pt"> that cooperative
interaction of .5pt"> aggregates of several protein chains is essential
to remodel the memberne .1pt"> appropriately [7]. Our outstanding .2pt"> results, in collaboration .1pt"> with experimental
colleagues from Berkeley, indicate how ESCRT (endosomal sorting
complex required for transport) machinery -.1pt"> can induce membrane remodelling .4pt"> and scission [8]. Our
 recent .55pt"> simulations reveal spontaneous .45pt"> vesicle constriction
by rings 2.6pt"> of Janus nanoparticles 2.1pt"> and clusters of curved proteins,
relevant for membrane
scission by proteins and applicable to synthetic biology
[9].

12.0pt"> 

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">Keywords:
Membrane remodelling,
proteins, nanostructures, self-assembly, drug delivery, cellular
processes, synthetic biology, nanomaterials

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal">References

12.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(1) 2.4pt"> Bahrami, A. H.,
Lipowsky, -.1pt"> R., & Weikl, T. R., Phys.
Rev.
Lett. 2012, 109, 188102. (2) Bahrami,
A. H. et. al, Advances
in colloid and interface science
2014, 208, 214-224. (3) Bahrami, A. H., Lipowsk -.7pt">y, R., & Weikl, T. R., Soft Matter 2016, 12(2), 581-587.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">(4) Bahrami,
A. H., Soft Matter 2013, 9(36), 8642-8646.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">(5) Bahrami,
A. H., & Weikl, Nano Letters
2018, 18(2), 1259-1263.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">(6) Bahrami,
A. H., & Hummer, G., ACS Nano
2017, 11(9), 9558-9565.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">(7) Bahrami,
A. H., 1.95pt"> Lin, M. G., Ren, X., Hurley, J. H., & Hummer, G., PLOS Comput.
Biol. 2017,

0in;margin-left:23.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">13(10).

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">(8)  Schoeneberg, J. et. al, Science
362 (6421), 1423-1428.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">(9) Bahrami,
A., Bahrami, A.H., Nanotechnology 30.34 (2019): -.3pt"> 345101.

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:6.5pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.4pt">Research accomplishments

0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">Statement of research

10.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">During .15pt"> my  BS  and  MSC
 in  mechanical engineering, 2.6pt"> I performed  molecular  dynamics  simulations
 of  particle-
based coarse .55pt"> grained fluid models to investigate .3pt"> capillary flow  of
 liquid 1.15pt"> bislugs  in  nanotubes. .95pt"> I  also  simulated .05pt">vesicle  membrane  formation  and  curvatrue-mediated interactions between
transmembrane proteins in vesicles.
Our  .05pt"> interesting  results,
 appeared
 in  
the  Journal  of Chemical .95pt"> Physics, earned me a second
PhD scholarship in

10.0pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">(a)           " arial>(b)           (c)

margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:54.75pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal">Figure 1

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">soft matter
physics in Max
Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces,

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">before finishing
the first one, within the international
program SSNI– Self-Assembled .35pt"> Soft Matter
Nano-Structures at Interfaces.
Answering a .85pt"> long-standing question of the field, our results on
membrane-mediated aggregation and tubulation of adsorbed nano particles on vesicles (Fig.
1(a)) appeared in  Physical Review Letters -.1pt"> in a suggested
paper by the editor (97 citations) and
a chosen paper for synopsis of physics [1]. Among .5pt"> other publications including
an invited review to the International Journal
of Colloid and Interface Science -.15pt"> (86 citations) on wrapping of nano
particles by membranes [2], I published a single-author
paper [3] .45pt"> on the role of nano particle shape in
engulfment orientation (Fig. 1(c)), which appeared on the  cover of Soft Matter .1pt"> (41 citations). I also
developed a 1.8pt"> continuum membrane model for theoretical 1.4pt"> calculations of axisymmetric 1.3pt"> membrane shapes. The model was successfully used to demonstrate, .05pt"> for the first time, the important
role of membrane curvature in
wrapping of spherical 2.3pt"> nano particles by vesicles [4], appeared in Soft
Matter (29 citations). 1.45pt"> I spent a 6-month visiting
period in North Carolina State University in the
group of .6pt"> Prof. C. K. Hall. Our results on size-dependent
translocation of nano particles across lipid
bilayers using discrete molecular -.6pt"> dynamics simulations appeared
in Nanoscale [5].

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">Finishing  a  successful
 3-year .2pt"> PhD,  I  was  offered  an
 immediate 2.75pt"> Postdoctoral  position
 by  Prof. Gerhard 1.2pt"> Hummer to start
in the 1.35pt"> department

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt"> 490px;margin-top:428px;width:393px;height:157px"> " times new roman>of  theoretical
 biophysics 2.45pt"> at  the  MPI  for

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
11.75pt">Biophysics.
During my Postdoctoral .9pt"> period, I

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">used   .15pt">my  tessellated 2.5pt"> membrane  model
 to i n v e s t i g a t e   m e m b r a n e   r e m o d e l l i n g 
 i
n biological processes. We demonstrated .7pt"> for the first time the significant -.35pt"> role of membrane
area growth by lipid synthesis in the formation
and stability  of  the  membrane tubular  structures
(Fig. 2(b)) 1.75pt"> in cellular organelles. Our results,
appeared in 2.7pt">  ACS  Nano, .3pt"> also  provides a  new

10.0pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:10.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">(a)

10.0pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:10.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">Figure 2

0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">(b)

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt"> 579px;margin-top:719px;width:356px;height:106px"> " times new roman>technique for creating
stable tubules of synthetic membranes
for applications in synthetic biology [6]. .65pt"> Our collaboration with experimentalists
in Biocenter .05pt"> of The Goethe Institute on atomistic
simulations of eukaryotic sensors
for membrane lipid saturation -.3pt"> appeared in Molecular -.6pt"> Cell.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">My current collaboration with neuroscientists in FIAS (Frankfurt .25pt"> Institute for Advanced Studies) on
how tubular structure of
the nerve -.2pt"> cells are related
to the -.15pt"> cell function is in preparation for PNAS.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">I also extended the tessellated membrane
model by including
coarse-grained representation .15pt"> of proteins, interacting .25pt"> with the membrane.
My suggestion on the scaffolding role of
ATG
protein complex in autophagosome .2pt"> biogenesis in autophagy
(Fig. 2(a)), confirmed by .4pt"> our experimental
collaborators at  Berkeley, appeared
recently in  PLOS Computational 2.65pt"> Biology, where the  good agreement -.2pt"> of experiments and theory was praised by the referees
[7]. The referees
also recognised the importance 2.1pt"> of our interesting model
for simulating protein-induced 1.7pt"> membrane remodelling and wide
range of potential
applications of the model for future investigations. Our .4pt"> model is particularly successful in simulating p -.2pt">rotein aggregation
at the .25pt"> membrane interface. Our outstanding results,
in collaboration with experimental colleagues from Berkeley, on how ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex 1.1pt"> required for transport) 1.1pt"> machinery can induce membrane remodelling 1.0pt"> and scission recently appeared in Science [8].

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">My continuous .8pt"> collaboration with my colleagues at MPI Colloids
and Interfaces, working on one of
my old .4pt"> ideas about curvatu -.2pt">re-mediated interactions between
Janus nano particle (Fig. 1(b)), led to interesting -.25pt"> results appeared in  Nano
Letters, in which I am a corresponding author
[9]. We revealed,
for the .15pt"> first time, that the membrane
curvature determines the nature
of interactions -.05pt"> between partially-

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">adsorbed Janus
nano particles on vesicles. Our recent work on membrane
scission by nanoparticle rings -.05pt"> and protein aggregates -.45pt"> has just appeared
in Nanotechnology [10].

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal">Future research

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">Membrane remodelling plays .3pt"> a critical role in self assembly of proteins and nanostructure
and pattern formation at the membrane interface, .1pt"> in shaping cellular
organelles, in cellular processes
such as .4pt"> cell division/migration, autophagy, and in designing synthetic
nano materials for biological applications [ -.4pt">11-13].

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">Model. Computational methods
have been increasingly -.05pt"> used to better understand experimental -.15pt"> results and to suggest new .15pt"> experiments. Limited time and length scales in simulations of atomistic membrane models, .25pt"> however,  highlight .1pt"> the  demand  for  much
 faste -.45pt">r,  more  efficient
 coarse-grained  models including continuum .2pt"> and tessellated membrane models. .25pt"> Monte Carlo (MC) simulation
of the tessellated model with sequential moves .15pt"> of the mesh nodes, however, is not efficient to simulate
membranes with proteins and the cytoskeleton .1pt"> and the the current continuum model .2pt"> is limited to axisymmetric membranes. I will develop
a novel .35pt"> much more efficient, faster membrane model by
inducing global membrane
undulations using a Hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm
[14], combined of MC and Molecular Dynamics
(MD), which allows simultaneous
moves of .4pt"> all nodes during MD steps. To involve the .2pt"> role of mechanical -.15pt"> forces in cellular
processes such as cell migration and .5pt"> cell division, I will incorporate .05pt"> a coarse-grained representation of the cytoskeleton .35pt"> and of protein molecules
into the .3pt"> new model. The HMC simulations .15pt"> of the new membrane model with
proteins .55pt"> and the cytoskeleton, .55pt"> together with general continuum membrane
model, thus provide
a st -.2pt">rong package for simulating membrane
remodelling over long time and length
scales with wide applications -.4pt"> some of which follow.

12.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">Designing Nano materials
and synthetic .25pt"> biology. The new field of synthetic biology
aims at constructing a living cell [15]. Nano structures such as DNA origami .25pt"> scaffolds are promising tools to
induce  synthetic  membrane  remodelling.
 I  will
 build .45pt"> a  coarse-grained  model  of
 DNA  origami scaffolds and use simulations, for the first time, -.1pt"> to understand how these scaffolds might be
effectively used to synthetically reproduce -.05pt"> cellular processes. Self-assembled -.05pt"> structures of nano particles are also
used for .5pt"> designing new materials
at the .35pt"> nanoscale. We revealed
that membrane curvature determines pairwise .15pt"> interactions between adsorbed Janus nano particles. .05pt"> I will design synthetic
nano structures composed of linear rings of aggregated .95pt"> Janus nano particles
on membranes, as promising synthetic counterparts of ESCRT
complexes and .45pt"> membrane cytoskeleton, to induce membrane
fission, furrow constriction and cell division.

12.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">Drug delivery
and nano drug containers. Recent advances
in nanotechnology have led to an increasing .15pt"> use of nano particles for drug delivery
purposes in medicine
particularly in cancer therapy [16]. .5pt"> I will study how membrane
curvature modifies cooperative internalisation of several rigid and
deformable drug containers with a variety
of sizes .35pt"> and shapes to design drug containers with optimal
shape, size, and mechanical flexibilit -.7pt">y.

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:9.5pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">Protein aggregation
and p -.2pt">rotein-induced cellular
and biological .1pt"> processes.
I will .4pt"> perform simulations to understand 1.2pt"> how proteins create 1.25pt"> and maintain membrane
shapes and aggregate 1.05pt"> at the membrane
interface. I will also investigate .05pt"> how membrane properties such as spontaneous .1pt"> curvature, volume regulation, area growth, and membrane
asymmetry a -.2pt">ffect the formation
and stability of different membrane shapes. .25pt"> HMC simulations of the novel fast membrane model .2pt"> allow me to efficiently investigate 1.35pt"> how protein complexes 1.35pt"> and membrane properties 1.4pt"> regulate autophagy [17], 1.8pt"> a cellular mechanism for material degradation 1.2pt"> (nobel prize in physiology and medicine 2016). I will perform .1pt"> simulations to understand .15pt"> membrane budding and scission
induced by the endosomal sorting complexes required
for transport (ESCRT), essential
for the .4pt"> multivesicular body pathway, cytokinesis
and HIV -.2pt"> budding [18].

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:9.5pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">Micro- and nano-fluidics.
I will .35pt"> use my tessellated .15pt"> membrane model to study rheology of colloidal
particles of .4pt"> different sizes and shapes,
red blood cell dynamics
and related .15pt"> diseases, and swimming dynamics of bacterial cells .25pt"> in low Reynolds
numbers. The swimming
dynamics is crucial for building
a minimal model of synthetic -.35pt"> cells.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt"> 872px;margin-top:911px;width:9px;height:2px"> " times new roman>Mechanobiology and tissue
growth. 1.15pt"> The newly-emerging field of mechonobiology .9pt"> focuses on the role
of mechanical forces in biological and cellular processes
[19]. I .5pt"> have successfully used the
tessellated membrane model to simulate
membrane adhesion to rigid surfaces such .2pt"> as nano particles.
I will include mechanical
forces by introducing a .35pt"> coarse-grained representation of the cytoskeleton .05pt"> as a new aspect into the model. I will use simulations
to understand how cell adhesion and migration
depend on .45pt"> the membrane
cytoskeleton, on membrane properties, and on substrate
rigidity for applications in cell development and .5pt"> tissue growth. I will also distinguish the role of membrane
cytoskeleton and protein
molecules such as BAR domain
family in cell division and mitochondrial
fission. The 2.1pt"> new model allows
me to 2.2pt"> investigate, for the first time,
how membrane cytoskeleton affects nano particle
intrenalisation.

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:9.5pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">Refe -.2pt">rences

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(1) 2.4pt"> Bahrami, A. H., Lipowsk -.7pt">y, R., & Weikl, T. R., Phys. Rev. Lett. 2012,
109, 188102. (2) Bahrami, A. H. et. -.1pt"> al, Advances in colloid and interface science
2014, 208, 214-224.
(3) Bahrami, A. H., Soft -.1pt"> Matter 2013, 9(36),
8642-8646.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(4) 2.4pt"> Bahrami, A. H., Lipowsk -.7pt">y, R., & Weikl, T. R., Soft Matter 2016, 12(2), 581-587. (5) 2.4pt"> EM Curtis, AH Bahrami, -.6pt"> TR Weikl, CK
Hall, Nanoscale 7 (34), 14505-14514. (6)   " times new roman>Bahrami, -1.0pt"> A. H., & Hummer, G., ACS Nano
2017, 11(9), 9558-9565.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(7) 2.4pt"> Bahrami, A. H., Lin, M. G., Ren, X., Hurley, J. H., & Hummer, G., PLOS Comput. Biol. 2017,

0in;margin-left:23.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">13(10).

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(8) 2.4pt"> Schoeneberg, J. et. al, Science
362 (6421), 1423-1428.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(9) 2.4pt"> Bahrami, A. H., & -.3pt"> Weikl, Nano Letters 2018, 18(2), 1259-1263.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(10) -.35pt"> Bahrami, A., Bahrami, A.H., Nanotechnology 30.34 (2019): -.3pt"> 345101.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(11) Shibata,
Y., 2.3pt"> Hu, J., Kozlov, M. M., & Rapoport, T. A., Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2009, 25,

0in;margin-left:23.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">329-354.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(12) -.35pt"> McMahon, H. T., & Gallop, J. L.,
Nature 2005, 438(7068), 590.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(13) -.35pt"> Zimmerberg, J., & -.1pt"> Kozlov, M. M. , Nature -.2pt"> reviews Molecular cell biology 2006, 7(1), 9.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(14) -.35pt"> Duane, S., Kennedy, A.
D., Pendleton, B. J., &
Roweth, D. , Physics letters
B 1987, 195(2), 216. (15) Schwille, -.2pt"> P., Science 2011,
333(6047), 1252-1254.

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(16) -.35pt"> Della Rocca, J., Liu,
D., & Lin, W., Accounts
of chemical research 2011,
44(10), 957-968. (17) Kuma, A. et. al, Nature 2004,
432, 1032; Mercer, T. J.,
et. al, -.1pt"> J. Biol. Chem. 2018, jbc-R -.4pt">117. (18) Wollert,
T., -.05pt"> & Hurley, J.
H., Nature 2010, 464(7290), 864..

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:12.0pt">(19) -.55pt"> Wang, N., Butle -.45pt">r, J. P., &
Ingber, D. E.,
M, Science 1993, 260(5111), 1124-1127.

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:9.5pt"> 

margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:176.05pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal">Statement of Teaching

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">I
regard teaching as an important part .25pt"> of my academic caree -.6pt">r. During my career, I have devoted
considerable attention to the teaching of engineering
labs and .35pt"> courses as well as to mentoring
undergraduate 1.25pt"> and graduate students. 1.6pt"> Successful teaching relies
on the 1.7pt"> instructor’s ability to motivate
students. My .35pt"> favorite teachers always established the .2pt"> need for learning
the subject by raising the basic
question: “why .4pt"> do we learn this concept?” Scientific .1pt"> advances are often brought about by deep insights
into the .4pt"> fundamental principles underlying new ideas or concepts.
While covering .25pt"> a wide range of
materials broadens students’
viewpoints on the subject, I believe that successful teaching
lies in .75pt"> keeping these fundamental concepts in the forefront of students’ understanding .4pt"> in order to train them as creative scientists .2pt"> and researchers. In my classrooms .1pt"> I develop lectures
that encourage student learning through
different .15pt"> approaches such as class lectures,
texts and visual presentations. I incorporate
up-to-date knowledge about the subject area and strong teaching and communication skills
in order to create an interactive learning environment -.1pt"> and guide students
to think .35pt"> deeply about the subject. In my opinion,
the success  in  teaching  relies
 heavily .05pt"> on  striking  a  balance 
between  lecturing  and  class
 discussion, particularly in interdisciplinary
courses. Style, .4pt"> professional ethics and respectfulness are among the fine
qualities of an outstanding -.35pt"> and successful teacher
who can serve as a role model for the
students.

12.0pt"> 

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">During .4pt"> the last year of my bachelor degree in the department
of mechanical engineering in Tehran Polytechnic -.45pt"> (Amirkabir University of Technology), -.35pt"> I was offered to serve as teaching
assistant of classical
mechanics (engineering dynamics), .25pt"> a basic course in mechanical
engineering. The course deals with
newtonian equations of motions for mechanical
systems of .5pt"> particles and rigid bodies and their numerical solutions. The dean of mechanical engineering .25pt"> department had to convince the faculty to offer a TA
to a bachelor .4pt"> student as by the time only MSc and PhD students were allowed to serve as teaching assistant. As -.1pt"> TA my duties -.1pt"> ranged from giving
lectures, assigning quizzes,
grading reports, and holding office hours to
address students’ questions. .15pt"> My devotion and interest put me in position to cooperate in some teaching sessions .3pt"> of the main course as well. In the same year I also started teaching laboratory
of dynamics and vibration in the same department.

12.0pt"> 

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">During .4pt"> my Masters degree in mechanical engineering department at .4pt"> Sharif University of Technology, I was granted a research assistantship .3pt"> at the Centre of Excellence .15pt"> for Design, Robotics,
and Automation. Working in the lab, I was offered to teach the robotics
laboratory course the year after. My teaching
period in .45pt"> the lab extended
to two .45pt"> years after my graduation as MSc in mechanical
engineering. Robotics course deals with formulating .2pt"> and solving the equations of motion of robotic manipulators .15pt"> as multi rigid or
flexible bodies. The equations of motion of robotic manipulator -.4pt"> resemble those of polymer chains
with flexible links between the particles. .05pt"> In the meanwhile, I .35pt"> started to learn machine
learning methods including neural networks and genetic algorithms for .45pt"> applications in artificial
intelligence in particular
in robotic and automation -.4pt"> systems.

12.0pt"> 

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">Starting from classical mechanics
of systems of particles and rigid bodies
in my .1pt"> bachelors and continuing to .4pt"> mechanics of robotic manipulators, I .45pt"> got interested in simulations of soft matter and fluid systems and statistical -.15pt"> mechanics as I was accepted
to PhD. .2pt"> For soft matter simulations, I learned a variety of particle-
based and .4pt"> continuum methods including Molecular
Dynamics, Monte Carlo, Dissipative Particle Dynamics, -.3pt"> Computational Fluid Dynamics,
and Multi-Particle Collision
Dynamics.

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">As
I was 1.75pt"> accepted to start
a PhD 1.8pt"> in mechanical engineering, 1.4pt"> I had the choice between
a 5-year-long course-research-based PhD and a 3-year-long research-based PhD. Choosing the 5-year-lomg PhD, I had
two teach .25pt"> to complete courses before graduation. I chose “Molecular
Dynamics and Monte Carlo
Simulations” and “Neural
Networks” and taught
these two courses
in a -.05pt"> complete semester.

margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:12.0pt">Having .45pt"> an interdisciplinary
background in .55pt"> mechanical engineering and soft matter statistical physics allows -.1pt"> me to teach a variety
of different courses
with a -.05pt"> particular focus on interdisciplinary courses.

margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:9.0pt"> 

10.0pt"> 

0in;margin-left:5.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
12.0pt">I will welcome the opportunity to teach core courses in my future academic -.15pt"> career. I am prepared to offer a variety of courses at both undergraduate and graduate
levels with .35pt"> the emphasis on “Computational Soft Matter”, .25pt"> “Simulation Methods in Chemistry and Physics”, ”Thermodynamics -.3pt"> and Fluid Mechanics”, .1pt"> and “Statistical Thermodynamics”.
I am
enthusiastic about teaching
core and .75pt"> elective undergraduate
and graduate courses including
“Introduction to Statistical .25pt"> Thermodynamics”, “Soft Matter Simulation Methods”, .35pt"> “Introduction to Molecular Dynamics
Simulations”, “Introduction to Biological Physics”, “Fluid Mechanics”, .4pt"> and “Classical Thermodynamics”. I .8pt"> especially enjoy teaching
and consulting undergraduate senior .45pt"> design projects. In addition, I will welcome the opportunity .15pt"> to develop new upper
division unde -.2pt">rgraduate and graduate courses pertaining to “Molecular Driving
Forces”, “Cellular and Biological 1.15pt"> Processes”, “Statistical Thermodynamics”, .8pt"> and “Advanced Molecular 1.3pt"> Dynamics and Monte Carlo .1pt"> Simulations”. Some of the graduate
level courses will be mainly seminar-based
courses, which will include .1pt"> lectures, class discussions, .25pt"> reading, summarising papers, and presentation assignments. I am confident that .25pt"> my teaching and research experience -.1pt"> will enhance the current strengths
of your .4pt"> school and will provide
a desirable addition
to the -.15pt"> preexisting cadre of brilliant -.35pt"> scholars and dedicated -.35pt"> teachers.