Described herein are enhanced compositions and methods for storing biomaterials. In certain aspects, these biomaterials include natural and engineered eukaryotic tissues. The methods described herein include storing these biomaterials in such a manner that reduces or prevents the loss of biomaterial properties (e.g., extracellular matrix integrity, cell viability, or a combination thereof) occurring either during storage or after removal of the biomaterial from storage. In certain aspects, these biomaterials will be stored in animal product-free solutions containing an agent that prevents or reduces the loss of extracellular matrix integrity.
