Take a Tour of Britains Eerily Beautiful Golden Blood Factory

Take a Tour of Britains Eerily Beautiful Golden Blood FactoryBlood is grouped into four types A, B, AB and O based on markers known as antigens carried on the surface of red blood cells, as well as 600 possible additional antigens. Its furthered sub typed by the presence or absence of another marker known as Rh factor, according to the Red Cross. One blood type housed in the lab contains no antigens whatsoever and is among the rarest types in the world.Whites photos provide a rare glimpse into the lab, which was founded in the 1940s. He described entering the buildings nondescript lobby then entering into a grey room to put on a blue surgical gown, shoe protectors and a hairnet. Next, he passed through an airlock into The White Room, the huge, sterile warehouse where rare blood from all over England is stored and processed.Very rare blood shared by under .01 percent of the population is processed and stored separately from the rest of the blood to avoid mistakes, White explained. However, British hospitals pay about $200 per bag regardless of blood type. If blood is needed in another country, the hospitals negotiate the rates.White, who called the lab a fascinating and miraculous space, said photographing the lab was more than a visual treat.Its quite easy to pass by the building without appreciating how much blood is needed in hospitals and how much of it passes through this place, he said.