FaceBase

FaceBase is an NIH-supported initiative that began in September 2009. Funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the FaceBase Consortium is a five-year initiative that systematically compiles the biological instructions to construct the middle region of the human face and precisely define the genetics underlying its common developmental disorders such as cleft lip and palate. A range of genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to facial clefting and FaceBase is designed to enhance investigations into these causes and their outcomes.