The ocean is the largest laboratory of natural chemistry on Earth with a vast untapped potential for the discovery of new compounds. Using novel analytical process, researchers at Georgia Tech explore ocean bioactive compounds found in seaweeds and other living tissues to develop new drugs. The push for ocean drug discovery is motivated by the fact that land-based drugs have been mostly discovered and exploited.
Dr. Kubanek explains some research on new antimalarial drugs from the ocean
Ocean Observing Platforms
The observing technology for ocean research has expanded considerably since the Challenger expedition, the first oceanographic cruise that took place in 1872 and lasted 4 years. While oceanic cruises are still an important mean for collecting observations, remote sensing through satellite drifting profiling floats such ARGO and other forms of unmanned vehicles are providing continuous streams of data both on global and regional scale. Scientists are Georgia Tech are pushing the envelope of ocean sensing by combining advanced robotics with Autonomous underwater and surface vehicles, as well as advanced avionics and acoustic wave sensing.
Microbes are the greatest decomposers of marine ecosystems, acting to breakdown natural organic matter and to release particulates that can re-enter the nutrient cycle. Bioremediation is broadly defined as using biology to clean up or remove contaminants from the environment. Since microbes catalyze a wide range of geochemical reactions, their bioremediation potential is most often dictated by the physiological requirements for their growth and metabolism. During natural attenuation, contamination is left in the environment to be degraded without interference. Through biostimulation, humans can accelerate microbial contaminant removal by adding nutrients or other growth substrates such as oxygen. In short, the ability to clean up or effectively remediate a site is often constrained by microbial ecology (the abundance, distribution, diversity of microbes present).
Plastic and other marine debris (e.g. including radioactive waste) impact marine organisms through ingestion, entanglement, and as sources of toxic chemicals. These waste products have a major impact on the ocean biogeochemical cycles. For example, plastic is transported via major ocean currents to the center of the gyres, where it resides for decades. The amount of plastic waste in the ocean is large, exceeding 2 kg/ km2 in the middle of the gyres. Research in this area elucidates the rates, metabolic pathways, and controls of microbial plastic degradation in oceanic environments.
Climate Forecast Applications Network
An important goal of OSE is to translate ocean and climate research into forecast products for decision makers to enable them to develop mitigation strategies in the face of the risks associated with weather and climate events such as tropical storms, hurricanes, floods and marine heatwaves. To this end few Georgia Tech faculty founded the Climate Forecast Applications Network (CFAN) that develops innovative weather and climate forecast tools to manage weather and climate risks. OSE students are encouraged during their Ph.D. to participate in internships in private companies (e.g. CFAN) and government agencies (e.g. EPA). “A true synergy between research, forecasts, and decision support produces a culture of innovation.”
Example of probabilistic Hurricane forecast of Atlantic tropical cyclone tracks and intensity.
Carbon-Neutral Energy Solutions (CNES) Laboratory
The Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory at Georgia Tech is designed to foster industry collaboration and support translational and pre-commercial research in clean, low carbon energy technologies. Research spans all aspects of the energy cycle from production and generation to distribution and use and is focused on addressing our most pressing energy and environmental challenges. Students in OSE are encouraged to engage in innovative ocean research with different groups across campus.
Integrated Modeling of Ocean Systems
Most of the emerging threats and hazards in the ocean like oil spills, harmful algal blooms, ocean acidification, and toxic waster require an interdisciplinary approach and the synthesis of large amount of data from different sources. Integrated modeling methods enable to combine current understanding and data to analyze important processes and provide decision making and environmental assessment tools to resource managers. Several groups at Georgia Tech combine data, laboratory experiments and models to advance our understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of emerging threats associated with ocean acidification, dead zones, oil spills and others. Often these approaches require large teams of experts and the formation of consortia like the Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of Gulf Ecosystem (C-IMAGE) and the Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf ECOGIG.