Medical Laboratory

Located at the Science Department compounds, the Medical Laboratory is the most famous of all departments of the Science Department. Its various programs and breakthroughs have greatly contributed to the healthcare system on Ymir, and its scientists have been widely praised for their treatments of Black Lung. Though not infallible, the Laboratory is essential to humanity's survival on Ymir, and its scientists are well aware of their burden.
Asides from the Black Lung treatments, another revered accomplishment of the Laboratory is the steps they have made with organ cultivation. This has greatly improved the quality of life on Ymir, far beyond the level its population was familiar with back on Earth. All Laboratory accomplishments are empowered by that the Medical Laboratory is authorised to employ 30% of the Science Department's AI capacity.

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Pathogens & Cures

Even before humanity first set foot on Ymir, drones and mobile labs helped capture and analyse its pathogens. Ever since, every substance and pathogen on Ymir have been analysed for their impact on humans, plants, and animals.
Special outfits and equipment were developed to help capture samples, and containment procedures are in place to prevent any outbreaks. Drones frequently investigate changing conditions, and Homesteaders are the first in line to help test vaccines. Homesteaders also help verify what food is safe to consume.
Any time this analysis exposes a threat, scientists immediately start on developing cures. At the same time, they also work on treatments and cures for known medical conditions. Boons of this research vary from cancer treatments and improved prosthetics, to better allergy medicine and various Rations optimised for each age group.

Land Area

16 ha (160.000 m²)

Gross Floor Area

20 ha (200.000 m²)

Staff Count

~520 Scientists (exact number: █████)

Budget

• 20% financial resources
• 30% AI Runtime

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Security Protocols

• Mask Mandate
• Individual authorization required
• Lethal Force authorised

Physical Security

• ████████████
• █████ Battle Spears
• ████████ █████

Success Stories

Organ Cultivation

The Medical Laboratory is constantly cultivating organs. As a result, there are always suitable organs available whenever transplants are needed, which has helped nearly-nullify rejection complications. If treatment of a condition fails, surgery for organ replacement take place within the week. These treatments all fall under Universal Basic Income and as such are completely free.
Unused cultivated organs are used for scientific experiments, helping analyse the impact local pathogens and substances have on the human body. These experiments are also performed on cultivated animal organs. While rare and expensive, some experiments use near-complete artificial bodies.
The one exception to organ cultivation are brains. Only partial experiments are allowed, full brain cultivation is forbidden and animal brains are used whenever strictly necessary. No other cultivation restrictions apply, and one of the Starseed selection criteria was a lack of moral objections towards these experiments.

Black Lung

Thanks to Explorations, the Science Department discovered Black Lung Powder during YY 1. Experiments showcased the bacteria could reproduce in human lungs, and the resulting disease was not only infectious, but had an estimated 8% fatality rate. Warnings and protocols were provided to the military government and the people.
While precautions were taken, over time people's compliance slackened, leading to the first outbreak during YY 5. Fortunately the Medical Laboratory had already developed treatments, which kept casualties of the first outbreak to a minimum. Parts of the population that resisted treatment, ended up confirming the estimated fatality rate.
After a trial with Homesteaders as willing guinea pigs, vaccines were rolled out during YY 7. Government statisticians have estimated the Black Lung treatments and vaccinations have prevented approximately 14500 deaths. However, the vaccines did not offer full protection, and as such the health protocol was codified under Martial Law. A mutated outbreak in YY 19 led to stricter protocols, which remain in place.