At the Texas A&M College of Dentistry departmental faculty interests range widely within a central research focus on craniofacial biology. These research interests include regulation of feeding behavior, the role of dendritic cells in cancer, the genetics of caries-causing bacteria, the genetics of tooth development, developmental biology of corneal epithelium, sutures, palate, and temporomandibular joint, mechanics of bone, and analysis of craniofacial growth in mutant and transgenic animal models. Exciting new areas of research include identifying the genes involved in the development of craniofacial structures, and tissue engineering and regeneration.
In addition to many well-outfitted individual laboratories, the Department houses a Core Laboratory for Cell and Molecular Biology and provides access to analytical tools such as confocal microscopy, laser capture, real-time PCR, and microCT.