Berkeley joins six other California universities to treat and repair craniofacial disease and damage. The consortium has been awarded $12 million by the NIH, part of a larger $24 million effort to develop strategies for treating craniofacial defects, which affect millions of Americans.

A recent proof-of-concept study shows that a tiny portable microjet injector called MucoJet can deliver a high-pressure stream of liquid and immune system-triggering molecules that penetrate the mucosal layer of the mouth to stimulate an immune response in the buccal region. The jet is pressurized, but not uncomfortably so, and would remove the sting of needles. Postdoctoral scholar Kiana Aran is lead investigator on the study.