Cover Story

Genes Behind the Face...

CCMB, IGM and Department of Biochemistry investigators team up to study the complex formation of the mammalian face.

A Trail of Blue…

Cranial neural crest cell lineage analysis lands Dr. Yang Chai on the cover of Development

Extreme Zoom In...

Alan Fincham, Janet Oldak and Haibo Wen take a closer look at enamel biomineralization with the CCMB’s atomic force microscope.

In the Beginning...

Junior faculty member David Crowe continues his search for the genetic players involved in initiating oral cancer.

A Familiar Face...

Hal Slavkin returns to USCSD as Dean

Summer Fun at the Center...

USC-CSP prepares for the 2000 Summer Institute with Los Angeles Unified School District teachers.

F.Y.I

A Welcome Note from the Director

Friends and Colleagues, 

Welcome to the first issue of Bites, a report of the activities of the faculty, students and staff in the University of Southern California Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology. We've developed a new format for presenting our activities that allows a much more dynamic presentation than our previous CCMB Annual Reports. Each issue will be composed of several different components, some of them appearing regularly and some less frequently. A Feature Article will report in depth on one of the major research initiatives currently underway in CCMB, this issue includes an overview of the Craniofacial Developmental Molecular Biology program project. A New Technology article will discuss specific applications of methods that are unique to CCMB and allow new lines of investigation to be conducted, in this issue applications of the atomic force microscope are presented. A Junior Faculty profile in each issue will provide greater insight into their background and research, in this issue Dave Crowe's oral cancer research is highlighted. A Hot Topic section will present a noteworthy new research finding, in this issue Yang Chai's novel method to track cranial neural crest cells is discussed. An Educational or Outreach section will document activities beyond the basic research of CCMB, in this issue the USC-California Science Project program with the Los Angeles Unified School District is reviewed. Special features will occur whenever a specific event occurs that is of major significance to CCMB, in this issue the return of Harold Slavkin to USCSD as the new Dean is such an event. Each issue of Bites will also list the new publications, grants, degrees and honors received by the CCMB family. We hope that you enjoy this new format and continue to learn more about the unique environment that is the USC Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology. 

All the Best, 

Charles F. Shuler, D.M.D., Ph.D.