Ayse Asatekin
Ayse Asatekin received bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering and chemistry from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. She went on to receive her Ph.D. in chemical engineering through the Program in Polymer Science and Technology (PPST) at MIT. She is also the co-founder and scientific advisor of Clean Membranes, Inc., a start-up company that commercialized the polyacrylonitrile-based membrane technology that she began developing during her doctoral research. Asatekin joined the Tufts Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in 2012.
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts School of Engineering
- 2019-present: Associate Professor
- 2012-2019: Assistant Professor
Scientific Advisor, Clean Membranes, Inc.
Research Affiliate, Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT
Co-Founder and Principal Scientist, Clean Membranes, Inc.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT
Ayse Asatekin's research focuses on small molecule separations, designing novel membranes for water treatment, removal of multiple types of pollutants, and energy-efficient smart filtration processes. She is also interested in systems that combine separation with catalysis and bioprocessing, surface modification of microfluidic devices, and self-cleaning materials with controlled wetting. The design of self-assembling polymers to create nanostructure and modulate surface chemistry provides a strong tool for developing materials for these applications.