Technical Abstract: Shoot tips from clonally propagated plants can be successfully cryopreserved when appropriately dehydrated and treated with cryoprotectant solutions. We have used differential scanning calorimetry and Karl Fischer titrations to determine the freezing properties and water content of both mint and garlic shoot tips treated with plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2; 30% glycerol, 15% dimethyl sulfoxide, 15% ethylene glycol, 15% sucrose)[Volk and Walters, 2006, Cryobiology 52:48-61]. The toxicity and plasmolytic response to each PVS2 component at both 22 and 0 degrees Celsius were evaluated using mint shoot tips [Volk et al. 2006 Cryobiology 52:305-308] and sweet potato cell suspension cultures, respectively. In addition, our transmission electron microscopy results reveal that the thawing and rehydration steps after liquid nitrogen exposure are critical to the success of the cryopreservation procedure [Volk et al., 2007 Protoplasma, in press]. Together, these results provide a framework for designing future projects to better understand and improve the survival rates after cryopreservation using plant vitrification solution 2.