The Gulf Research Program, established as an independent, science-driven entity after the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, aims to leverage cutting-edge science to promote environmental safety, offshore energy safety, and improve community resilience throughout the Gulf region. This grant awarded to FAU’s Harbor Branch is a testament to the institute’s scientific excellence and its commitment to bridging the gap between advanced research and real-world applications. The funding will enable researchers to employ sophisticated simulation models and AI-powered forecasting capable of parsing the interplay between oceanographic and atmospheric variables that influence sea-level fluctuations on both global and localized scales.

Central to this project is the integration of powerful Earth system models with localized hydrodynamic models. Specifically, the Community Earth System Model (CESM), known for its high-resolution climate scenario executions, will feed broad climate data into a nested Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model (SCHISM) and Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) framework. These sophisticated nested models will refine projections to the scale of individual coastal communities, providing granular, data-driven insights on sea-level trajectories that incorporate atmospheric forcing and ocean circulation peculiarities of the Gulf.

One of the distinguishing features of this research lies in incorporating vertical land motion data into sea-level projections. Vertical land motion, which includes subsidence and uplift caused by tectonic shifts, sediment compaction, and anthropogenic activities, dramatically influences local sea level and flood risk. By integrating geodetic and GPS-based land motion datasets, the project aims to generate calibrated, location-specific sea-level forecasts that far surpass the resolution and accuracy of traditional models. This granular forecasting is vital for coastal adaptation strategies which require precise knowledge of relative sea level rather than mere global averages.

The project also represents a significant leap in methodology by fusing physics-based oceanographic and atmospheric models with next-generation machine learning techniques. A novel graph-based probabilistic machine learning framework will be deployed to analyze and synthesize multivariate predictors, such as ocean heat content, dynamic sea-level trends, and atmospheric indices like the North Atlantic Oscillation. This framework can handle ‘deep uncertainty,’ a state where incomplete knowledge about future conditions hampers reliable projections. The system’s ability to probabilistically forecast extreme sea-level events will be invaluable for disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience planning.

Laurent Chérubin, Ph.D., the principal investigator and a research professor at FAU Harbor Branch, emphasizes the transformative potential of this multidimensional approach. His team is dedicated to advancing not only the scientific understanding of regional sea-level rise but also translating these data-intensive insights into actionable tools for coastal communities. Collaboration with co-investigators and partner institutions is central to this effort, seeking to establish a synergetic relationship between theoretical models, machine learning interpretation, and practical application tailored for diverse Gulf Coast populations.

Confronting sea-level rise in rural and under-resourced areas along the Gulf Coast constitutes a primary focus due to systemic inequities in infrastructure, data availability, and technical expertise. To address these challenges, the project partners with Florida Sea Grant in outreach efforts encompassing four Gulf Coast communities. These initiatives will enhance community-level understanding of sea-level dynamics and facilitate scenario-based decision-making. Deploying advanced water level sensors at the community scale further enriches locally relevant datasets, enabling real-time monitoring and adaptive management.

Moreover, a user-friendly, artificial intelligence-driven platform is under development to democratize access to the project’s forecasting capabilities. Tailored to meet the specific needs of local governments, planners, and non-specialist stakeholders, this platform will synthesize complex modeling outputs into digestible, actionable guidance. The incorporation of AI not only accelerates data processing but fosters continuous learning from new inputs and stakeholder feedback, ensuring the tool’s evolutionary adaptation to emerging challenges and data streams.

James Sullivan, Ph.D., executive director of FAU Harbor Branch, articulates the broader societal impact of this research. He underscores how this project exemplifies the integration of rigorous scientific inquiry with community-centered resilience efforts. By delivering precise, scenario-based sea-level forecasts enhanced by cutting-edge modeling and artificial intelligence, the initiative stands to substantially mitigate the risks of coastal flooding. Beyond safeguarding property and ecosystems, it empowers local populations to make informed, proactive decisions in the face of an uncertain climate future.

The team assembled for this project leverages multidisciplinary expertise, including contributions from co-investigators such as Xingquan “Hill” Zhu, Ph.D., who brings advanced electrical engineering and computer science techniques vital for machine learning model development; Robert Burgman, Ph.D., a social scientist focused on community engagement and adaptive capacity; and Anna Braswell, Ph.D., whose ecological and geomatics expertise aids landscape-level environmental interpretation. This cross-sectoral collaboration enriches the project’s depth and applicability.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which oversees the Gulf Research Program, plays a pivotal role in ensuring the scientific rigor and policy relevance of this initiative. With a mandate dating back to 1863, the National Academies represent a cornerstone of independent analysis in the U.S., supporting evidence-based decision-making on complex matters at the intersection of science, technology, and society. This affiliation lends additional credibility and resource support, reinforcing the project’s potential for long-lasting, impactful contributions to coastal resilience.

Founded in 1971, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University embodies a vibrant research community dedicated to oceanographic innovation. Its scientific portfolio spans ocean engineering, marine biotechnology, coastal ecosystem studies, and marine mammal conservation. With this latest grant, Harbor Branch further cements its role at the forefront of addressing emergent environmental crises through scientific creativity and community partnership, reinforcing its mission of “Ocean Science for a Better World.”

Florida Atlantic University itself is recognized nationally and internationally for its research productivity and commitment to social mobility. Serving over 32,000 students across multiple campuses, FAU has earned prestigious Carnegie Foundation designations that reflect its research intensity and community engagement. This project aligns perfectly with FAU’s broader institutional goals, showcasing how academic excellence can directly advance societal resilience and environmental stewardship at regional and global scales.

In summary, this innovative project undertaken by FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute represents a groundbreaking fusion of high-resolution climate simulation, physics-based ocean modeling, and artificial intelligence to combat the escalating challenges of sea-level rise in the Gulf of America. Through sophisticated modeling, community-driven applications, and impactful technology deployment, this initiative stands poised to transform resilience planning and adaptation strategies for vulnerable coastal populations, representing a beacon of scientific innovation with tangible, life-saving consequences.

Subject of Research: Regional sea-level rise dynamics and forecasting in the Gulf of America integrating oceanographic models, vertical land motion, and machine learning.

Article Title: FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Secures $900,000 Grant to Advance Sea-Level Rise Forecasting in the Gulf of America

News Publication Date: (Not specified in the provided content)

Web References:

• Florida Atlantic University: https://www.fau.edu/
• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute: https://www.fau.edu/hboi/
• Gulf Research Program, National Academies: https://www.nationalacademies.org/units/GULF-GULFEO-15-04

Image Credits: Florida Atlantic University

Keywords

Floods, Sea level, Sea level rise, Climate change, Climate change effects, Climate change mitigation, Natural disasters, Oceanography, Coastal zones, Ocean physics, Ocean temperature, Ocean waves, Ocean circulation, Sensors, Technology

The grants will support the work of two distinguished scientists deeply engaged in novel cell and gene therapy research: Dr. Joseph Fraietta at the University of Pennsylvania, operating through the ACGT, and Dr. Pietro Genovese at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. These investigators are at the forefront of integrating sophisticated gene-editing tools into cancer treatment strategies, a field rapidly evolving with the advent of CRISPR and related technologies. Their collaborative efforts promise to yield new therapeutic modalities with potential applicability across a broad spectrum of malignancies, including notoriously difficult-to-treat solid tumors and hematologic cancers.

In recent years, gene editing has emerged as a transformative force in oncology, offering unparalleled precision in manipulating genetic material to enhance immune responses against cancer. Dr. Fraietta’s research harnesses a refined gene-editing technology known as base editing, which allows single-letter changes in DNA without inducing double-stranded breaks, thereby reducing off-target effects and improving safety profiles. Utilizing this approach, his team engineers CAR T cells—immune cells reprogrammed to recognize and destroy cancer cells—that are optimized to target tumors harboring KRAS mutations prevalent in approximately a quarter of human cancers, such as those affecting the lung, colon, and pancreas.

Moreover, Dr. Fraietta’s laboratory is pioneering the creation of “micropharmacies,” a novel cellular platform wherein genetically modified immune cells are designed to secrete therapeutic agents directly at tumor sites. This localized delivery system minimizes systemic toxicity and maximizes anti-tumor efficacy by concentrating immune-stimulatory molecules within the tumor microenvironment. Such precision medicine approaches could mitigate the side effects commonly associated with conventional chemotherapy and non-targeted immunotherapy regimens, offering patients more tolerable and effective treatment options.

Meanwhile, Dr. Genovese’s innovative strategy at Dana-Farber represents a paradigm shift in leukemia treatment. Instead of solely focusing on eradicating malignant cells, his research revolves around engineering “stealth” healthy blood cells capable of enduring aggressive chemotherapy and targeted cancer therapies. These modified cells evade immune detection and destruction, creating a protective reservoir of functional hematopoietic cells during treatment-induced cytotoxicity. This approach holds promise in reducing collateral damage to vital healthy cells, a significant limitation of current acute myeloid leukemia (AML) therapies, and could improve patient outcomes by preserving bone marrow function.

The financial backing from Swim Across America facilitates these exploratory, high-risk, high-reward projects that might otherwise struggle to secure funding. This underscores the critical role philanthropic organizations play in bridging the gap between foundational research and clinical application, especially in areas where conventional grant mechanisms may be insufficiently nimble or risk-averse. By investing in early-stage work, Swim Across America accelerates the translation of compelling scientific concepts into viable therapeutic innovations.

Rob Butcher, CEO of Swim Across America, emphasizes the transformative potential of gene-editing technologies in the fight against cancer. He highlights how these grants empower scientists to expedite the development of next-generation treatments, building upon the organization’s successful history of supporting research that contributed to the approval of landmark immunotherapy drugs like Keytruda and Opdivo. These new investments aim to catalyze a wave of breakthroughs that could fundamentally alter cancer therapy paradigms and substantially improve patient quality of life.

The broader implications of this research extend beyond the development of novel therapies. Enhanced gene-editing methodologies and cellular engineering techniques also facilitate advancements in early cancer detection, minimal residual disease monitoring, and personalized cancer vaccine design. These comprehensive applications point toward a future where cancer management is increasingly tailored to the genetic and immunologic profile of each patient, fostering more durable remissions and potentially curative outcomes.

Since its inception in 1987, Swim Across America has raised over $100 million to support cancer research, consistently funding projects that push the boundaries of scientific knowledge and clinical care. The organization hosts a wide variety of swimming events across the United States, generating awareness and funds through the enthusiastic participation of Olympians and community members alike. Its unique model of combining athleticism with philanthropy has made it a keystone in the cancer research funding ecosystem, particularly for innovative, early-phase studies.

Dr. Fraietta’s work echoes this spirit of innovation by targeting the notorious KRAS oncogene, a historically “undruggable” target responsible for driving tumorigenesis in a significant subset of cancer patients. Through base editing of CAR T cells, his research aims to circumvent traditional therapeutic challenges associated with KRAS mutations, potentially unlocking new avenues for treating some of the most lethal cancers. The integration of micropharmacy concepts further elevates the approach, marrying genetic precision with functional immunotherapy.

At the same time, Dr. Genovese’s “stealth cell” approach challenges established oncologic dogma by seeking to preserve healthy hematopoiesis amidst aggressive treatment regimens. Acute myeloid leukemia, characterized by the rapid proliferation of malignant myeloid cells, requires intensive chemotherapy that often devastates normal bone marrow function. Engineering cells that can evade destruction offers a compelling solution to reduce treatment-related toxicity, improve recovery, and enhance overall survival rates for patients with AML and potentially other blood cancers.

The Swim Across America grants epitomize a strategic investment in the future of cancer treatment, supporting research that not only explores advanced gene-editing techniques but also aims to address pressing clinical challenges such as treatment resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and therapy-related adverse effects. This funding paves the way for integrating these modalities into clinical trials and, eventually, routine care, exemplifying the dynamic interplay between scientific innovation and patient-centered application.

Through these efforts, Swim Across America continues to champion a model of research funding that catalyzes transformative discoveries, fosters collaborations between academic and clinical researchers, and ultimately strives to deliver lifesaving treatments to cancer patients. The hope is that these pioneering projects spearheaded by Drs. Fraietta and Genovese will usher in a new era of precision oncology, defined by safer, more effective, and personalized gene- and cell-based therapies.

Subject of Research:
Advancement of novel gene and base editing techniques for cancer therapy, including engineered CAR T cell therapies targeting KRAS mutations and development of resilient hematopoietic cell therapies for acute myeloid leukemia.

Article Title:
Swim Across America Awards $900,000 to Drive Breakthrough Gene-Editing Cancer Therapies at University of Pennsylvania and Dana-Farber

News Publication Date:
Not specified in the provided content.

Web References:
https://swimacrossamerica.org
https://mediasvc.eurekalert.org/Api/v1/Multimedia/99bff3d1-5fd5-4380-b9e2-0f1437d04b2b/Rendition/low-res/Content/Public

Image Credits:
University of Pennsylvania

Keywords:
Gene editing, base editing, CAR T cells, KRAS mutations, acute myeloid leukemia, stealth hematopoietic cells, Swim Across America, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, immunotherapy, cancer research funding, cellular therapy, targeted cancer treatments