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--- notes:research_institute [2016/04/20 14:30]
Mercury
+++ notes:research_institute [2016/07/26 23:04] (current)
Brend [Tobe Na Med Research Institute]
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 ====== Tobe Na Med Research Institute ======
+//Outdated. See [[research_institute_proposal]].//
 The Tobe Na Med Research Institute is a research institute that claims to specialise in Historic Genealogical DNA research, specifically with the goal of finding genetic markers within historical noble families and their descendants. Amongst their stated primary goals is the discovery of genes which are related to the failure and success of dynasties, as well as determining if marriage customs of the historic era have created genetic division between nobles and non-nobles. They accomplish this goal by analysing the blood of the descendent of noble families, especially those who still qualify as nobles.
@@ Line 9: / Line 11: @@
 Besides research into nobility, the institute also tests the quality of blood for pathogens, contamination, etc.
+===== Input =====
+The following additional input is necessary to continue:
+  * Opinions on bottom section regarding blood gaining / usage
+  * What advantages does Tomas hope to gain (Access to chemicals? Laboratory?)
+  * What advantages does Alastar hope to gain (Tax breaks? Research outcomes? Training and Testing facility for ghouls?)
+=== Alastar ===
+Discussed with ST (first group is directly available, second at a later point, third requires large N and actual research work):
+  * Counts as ⅕th of the necessary effort for raising to Resources :6: due to tax benefits and financial constructs
+  * Can be a good justification for increasing Influence rating due to new acquintances in Berlin's administration
+  * Can act as justification for establishing private security firm with exceptional permits and rights
+  * Lab that can perform quick blood testing and research on demand without questions asked
+  * Can be a catalyst for getting new contacts and gettings things done in the medical sphere
+  * Can be a catalyst for getting new contacts in the research funding sphere
+  * Can eventually be used as a recruitment location for skilled junior scientists
+  * Can eventually act as an information source on issues regarding the city's inhabitants' blood and its quality
 ===== Implementation =====
@@ Line 129: / Line 154: @@
     * [[wp>Charité]]
     * https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5416312,13.3450164,16.5z
+===== First version Proposal =====
+Tobe Na Med is a medical research involved in Genealogical DNA research, specifically focussing on finding unique markers within historic noble families and their descendants. A stated primary research goal is the discovery of markers which are related to the failure and success of dynasties, as well as determining if historic marriage customs have created detectable genetic division between nobles and non-nobles. They accomplish this goal by analysing the blood of the descendent of noble families, especially those who still qualify as nobles.
+Besides the research, the facility also analyses and tests donor blood for pathogens, chemical contamination and other risk factors. It keeps a store of blood to supply hospitals in the Berlin area, especially the nearby Charité, in cases of emergencies or sudden peaks in demand.
+While the institute actually does perform all these tasks, it is also used as a front to safely and legally purchase blood for vampiric consumption under the cover of its research. To do this in the least disruptive way possible, the institute takes "second pick", that is, they yield preference of purchase to any medical institution that needs the blood for helping patients - even besides their work to support nearby hospitals. They also perform blood drives to increase the general supply of blood above and beyond the amount they take out.
+==== Funding ====
+The institute is funded through a mix of service fees, grants and donations.
+Service fees consists of payments made by hospitals for testing and storing donor blood. The services are provided at regular market rates which allow for a small margin of profit to offset incidental costs. This also includes any incidental profits made from buying and selling blood - blood is not being brokered for profit by the institute, but incidental losses or profits may occur and are included in this post.
+Grants are research funding made available through government and private institutions to promote the type of research being done at the institute. Since the institute is involved in the up and coming field of genetics, grants are generally widely available. It is important to note that like the service fees, grants are not being siphoned off, but rather the research is actually being done.
+Donations are a final source of funding, which may take the form of private donations, blood drives, charity events and personal equity investments by the institutes patrons. Of these funding sources, private equity investments, be it as money or as blood, are the default methods by which blood consumption is financed. See "Acquiring Blood" for details.
+==== Acquiring Blood ====
+The institute can be used to acquire blood in three different ways: direct extraction, market purchase, and donation filtering
+=== Direct Extraction ===
+Direct extraction is the least complicated method with the most problems - it is possible to simply take blood directly out of the refrigerator in the institute for consumption. Administratively this is easy: since blood which fails pathogen tests is destroyed to prevent contamination, it requires only that a test form is filled out as a positive test for pathogens instead of a negative test and that it is recorded as having been destroyed.
+However, direct extraction affects the blood supply, both in the institute and in Berlin more generally, besides being fraudulent. Using this means would be a Humanity 7 sin (theft). In special cases when there is a blood shortage (for example following a large accident), it may also be a Humanity 6 sin (accidental violation). In either case, depending on the humanity of the kindred extracting the blood, a humanity discussion may be appropriate. Naturally, specific circumstances may factor into the decision. Wasting blood for fun or using it for dark purposes may rank lower on the humanity scale and may be a violation even for lower humanity characters, while using it to save lives or otherwise do greater good than harm may mean no humanity violation took place at all.
+Due to the size of the store and the normal operational costs that include provisions for failed tests, up to 5 blood can be acquired through this means in a month without affecting operations. If trying to take more blood, an (Intelligence + Medicine) check should be made. The number of successes is the amount of blood beyond five that can be taken without arousing suspicion (so 5 on a failure, 6 on 1 success, etc). If more blood than this is taken, or if a botch is rolled, an investigation is triggered with one of the grant givers or with the health department. Such an investigation may temporarily close the institutes operations, may cost money in fines, or may even place the masquerade at risk in rare cases.
+=== Market Purchase ===
+Since the institute purchases blood for its research, unlike with Direct Extraction, it does not arouse suspicion if the institute purchases blood from the blood market through the proper channels. In this case, the institute purchases blood as normal, reserved for research and once acquired gives this blood to the buyer (who will pay the listed price in the form of a donation). Since this is "second pick" blood, and nobody is at risk, there is no humanity violation involved.
+The going rate for blood in Germany is 105 euro's per dose (( http://financieel.infonu.nl/diversen/93508-winst-maken-op-donorbloed.html )) while the black market rate is some 200 euro's (( [[ic:die_fledermaus]] )), so it is even possible to make some level of profit from this by filtering blood to the black market - this would, however, attract unwanted attention if it were to become known.
+Two limitations apply on Market Purchases. First, since the institute cannot sell blood to consumers without arousing serious suspicion, there is a one day delay between requesting the purchase and receiving the blood. While it is possible to buy blood that is stored at the institute already, for bookkeeping purposes it is necessary to wait until a replacement batch has been bought to make sure the supply is the same in the refrigrerator as it is on paper - to do otherwise would make the purchase a Direct Extraction (even if a donation is made to pay for it).
+The second limitation is that there is a limited amount of blood that can be purchased in this manner - if there is any blood to buy at all! Each month, there is 2D10 - 5 points of blood available for purchase (( 90% chance of at least 1 blood point, average 6 blood points )). Roll the first time anyone attempts to purchase blood or use Donation Filtering (see below) during a month - if the result is zero or less, it means no blood is available.
+=== Donation Filtering ===
+For various reasons, it may be desirable to filter blood acquired from other sources through the research institute.
+This is done by donating blood (for example by bringing in in a volunteer donor) via the institute. Since the institute profits from testing the blood on behalf of the collective Berlin blood banks, it can then use those profits to buy some of the donated blood from the blood banks. You can get one point of blood for every two points of blood donated.
+This type of purchase is analogous to a Market Purchase, but it is paid for out of the profits of the donation, and it provides its own blood, and is therefore not limited by the available amount of blood.
+One advantage is that blood filtered in this way will have been tested for pathogens and is therefore a safe source of food.
+Another advantage is that donation filtering actually increases the supply of blood available for patients, but this comes with a potential disadvantage: in special cases where there is a blood shortage in Berlin due to large accidents or the likes, the blood banks are not obligated to sell back the blood just donated. Due to the large stored supply, this would only happen in the most dire of events.

Berlin by Night

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