Described herein are methods of preserving a tissue of a subject, such as a brain or a portion thereof. The methods include washing the tissue by perfusing the tissue with a wash fluid comprising an aqueous solution； fixing the tissue by perfusing the tissue with a fixation fluid comprising an aldehyde； and cryoprotecting the tissue by perfusing the tissue with a cryoprotection fluid comprising a vitrification agent. The wash fluid, the fixation fluid, and/or the cryoprotection fluid can include a dye or a contrast agent to monitor perfusion of the fluid through the tissue. In certain embodiments, the cryoprotection fluid has a vitrification temperature of about -80 °C or higher. The wash fluid can further include one or more of an ion channel blocker, a calcium chelator, a thrombolytic agent, an anti-platelet, a respiratory poison, or a synaptic poison. Also described herein are methods of analyzing the preserved tissue.
