The U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) has awarded a $12.5 million grant to the University of Southern California (USC) to create new research data for the university's craniofacial research hub.
The USC researchers will use the funds to help create FaceBase III, a freely available collection of DNA samples and datasets of genetic information, manuscripts, images, videos, and scans of human faces related to abnormalities of the head and facial bones.
The project, which is spearheaded by the university's dental and engineering schools, will provide dental schools and other universities with access to the largest computer science research institute in the U.S., according to USC.
In 2009, the NIDCR created the first FaceBase, which focused on the middle region of the face and the genetics related to developmental disorders, such as cleft lip and cleft palate.
USC scientists have been developing FaceBase's central data hub since 2014. This second phase expanded the hub, including other genetic disorders and the development of the entire craniofacial complex.
The third phase prioritizes motivating craniofacial researchers around the globe to share research data, developing a community of active users, and building on the data repository.
