We are exploring the use of human corneal organoids as a pre-animal model system to investigate human corneal development and disease. Matured for up to 4 months in culture, these human corneal organoids establish a layered ECM-rich cornea-like tissue (Foster, 2017).  Single cell transcriptomic studies show all major corneal cell types (Maiti, 2022) and a cornea-like stromal extracellular matrix of collagens and proteoglycans (Ashworth, 2025).