Born of bedrock. Shaped by survival. Forged in CHAOS.
The Washburn CHAOS Lab studies Complex Host And abiOtic Systems, exploring how biology, geology, and chemistry collide in real-world systems.
Which is the scientific way of saying nature is one giant interconnected disaster scene and we want to know what the microbes are doing about it.
Science is metal. Science is feral. Science is CHAOS.
Welcome to The Washburn CHAOS Lab
Biomedical geoscience for the beautifully unstable.
Founded by Dr. Rachel Washburn, the CHAOS Lab investigates what survives in hostile environments, how systems respond under stress, and the compounds microbes unleash in the middle of the chaos.
We sequence DNA to Slipknot, crush rocks in a rage room, weaponize caffeine during extractions, and interrogate ecosystems doing deeply unhinged things with chemistry.
Around here, curiosity escalates quickly and the science rarely stays civilized.
Three Divisions, One System
From microbial upheaval to metabolomic arsenals and geologic crucibles, each division tackles a different side of the system.
We uncover microbial chemistry in extreme environments with real-world medical and environmental applications.
We study microbial systems under stress, from contamination and disease to ecological instability and recovery.
We investigate geologic systems and deep-time processes that shape environments, resources, and life.
Latest from the Lab
Fieldwork, feral science communication, microbial chaos, and systems behaving badly. Welcome to the latest from the Washburn CHAOS Lab.
Can I lick it?
It might look like marshmallow fluff, but this is a cave-cricket eating fungus.
Tales from the Transcrypt
The story behind Waverly Hills Sanitarium, before it became one of America's most haunted sites.
I need you to know there is a molecule in biology called luciferase, named after lucifer.
These Space Marines have a lot going on, so what does their physiology look like?
Taxonomy Gone Wild
Scientifically Speaking
A modern science media ecosystem.
Meet the Lab. Enter the System.
The Washburn CHAOS Lab is led by Dr. Rachel Washburn, a combat veteran, biomedical geoscientist, metalhead, and professional interrogator of hostile systems. Meet the scientists behind the chaos.
Field updates, science briefings, data drops, and the next wave of CHAOS.
How the lab works, what to expect, and answers to the questions people usually ask once they find us.
Connect with CHAOS Lab
This is where the field intel lives.
If you want updates from the lab, invites to talks, or a chance to get involved in real-world science, this is your way in.
Got a cave? Know someone who does? Sitting on land with weird water, karst, or “hey this seems biologically questionable” energy? Tell us.
Want to help map Kentucky’s microbiome or jump into citizen science? Also here.
Basically: if it involves microbes, rocks, or controlled scientific chaos, this is the form.
director@washburnchaoslab.com