Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The Jackson Laboratory received a $795,730 Project Grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) under the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121), effective March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2031. This award supports a systems genomics research initiative focused on elucidating the genetic, transcriptional, and histological mechanisms underlying palate morphogenesis using genetically diverse mouse models. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how natural strain variation affects developmental processes and craniofacial birth defects, including orofacial clefts, which affect approximately 1 in 700 births worldwide. The project leverages Jackson Laboratory's specialized expertise in mammalian genetics and genomically engineered mouse models to systematically investigate gene regulatory networks and their role in controlling transcriptional dynamics during facial development.

The primary deliverables include characterization of developmental gene regulatory networks across multiple mouse genetic backgrounds, integrated genomic and transcriptomic datasets relating sequence variation to developmental timing and facial shape variation, and experimental models that establish the relationship between genomic variation and variation in transcriptional dynamics during morphogenesis. These research outputs are intended to advance understanding of normal craniofacial development, facilitate validation of disease variants identified in human populations, and improve the capacity to accurately model human congenital craniofacial malformations in preclinical research settings.