Having just binged this show (thanks Netflix), the impression I got was the original president wanted them to stay happily and end up living/breeding with them to bring about a new generation that could survive the outside and continue their legacy.
Instead his son, and that scientist had to go and fuck things up by wanting results now. At that point it was too late to get donors. Don't even think they doped up any of the earlier living patients on during their bone marrow retrieving? Thelonious' little adventure did drag on though, but hopefully that'll all pay off in season 3 with the cliffhanger.