Why not chemical fixation instead of cryopreservation?
Chemical fixation with cross-linking agents can stabilize biological structure for long periods of time in the liquid state, and it is reversible in principle with molecular nanotechnology. In fact, the cryonics chapter in Eric Drexler’s book Engines of Creation discusses using a combination of fixation and vitrification for cryonics patients. However, there are concerns with this approach. Fixation and storage at ambient temperature has sometimes been proposed as a low-maintenance version of cryonics. This approach is biologically inferior to good cryopreservation for several reasons. First, good chemical fixation is hard to do, and requires multiple agents to effectively preserve all major cell components. Some of these agents are expensive and extremely hazardous chemicals. Any imperfections in fixation would result in decaying tissue, whereas defects in cryoprotective perfusion during cryopreservation only result in tissue freezing rather vitrifying; a limited degree of damage that
