Roy Chuck, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues have discovered two new anatomic structures where the cornea of the human eye merges with the sclera (white of the eye): the anterior limbal cribriform layer and its presumed anchoring fibers. The findings were described in the September issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. The discovery was made using second harmonic generation imaging, an advanced type of optical microscopy available at Einstein and only a few other places in the world. The new structures are located directly beneath a stem cell population at the edge of the cornea; those cells can be transplanted to replenish corneal cells and restore vision. The function of the new structures remains unknown, but the researchers believe that the cribriform layer may provide stem cell support. Dr. Chuck is professor and chair of ophthalmology & visual sciences and professor of genetics. He also holds the Paul Henkind Chair in Ophthalmology. The studies were performed with Dr. Choul Yong Park, a visiting scientist on sabbatical from Dongguk University, South Korea.