Born of bedrock. Shaped by survival. Forged in CHAOS.
The Washburn CHAOS Lab studies Complex Host-AbiOtic Systems, exploring how biology, geology, and chemistry interact in messy, 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
Life doesn't stay in one lane, so why should science?
Founded by Dr. Rachel Washburn, the Washburn 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 metal, crush rocks in a rage room, weaponize emotional support caffeine during extractions, and interrogate ecosystems doing deeply unhinged things with chemistry.
Around here, curiosity escalates quickly and the science rarely stays civilized.
What is Feral Science?
Fearless curiosity
Engage everyone in discovery
Real systems, real science, real impact
Adapt when necessary
Link people, ideas, and disciplines
Science for people who refuse to stay in a single discipline, wait for permission to be curious, or ignore inconvenient data.
Data-driven. Community-connected. Interdisciplinary. Evidence-obsessed.
The Science
We study how geology, biology, and chemistry behave in real-world systems like caves, contaminated landscapes, and anywhere else that demands sciencing.
Our goal is to find the patterns buried across those interconnected systems and eventually use them to predict where useful compounds and microbes are most likely to turn up.
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People Involved
Sites Sampled
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.
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.
Latest from the Lab
Want to know what we’re up to between papers, field days, and whatever research side quest we’ve gotten ourselves into this week? Follow the @WashburnCHAOSLab on social media for research updates, behind-the-scenes lab and fieldwork, and a whole lineup of web series that make science fun, accessible, relatable, feral, and metal AF. From breaking down scientific papers and digging up the most unhinged taxonomy to reverse engineering your favorite fandoms with real science, there’s plenty to get curious about, no matter what brought you here.
Check out the full Science Communication page to explore them all and follow along.
Calendar
This is what we’re up to. If we’re in your neighborhood, come out and see us! Want to know where we’ll be next? See our full calendar here.
Want to get involved or have questions about an event? Check out our Get Involved page or send us an email at director@washburnchaoslab.com.
Want Washburn CHAOS Lab at your conference, convention, organization, class, or event for a talk, panel, outreach booth, or science experience?
Check out our Invite a Scientist and Citizen Scientist Experience program pages, or email us at director@washburnchaoslab.com.
Featured Events
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026
Dr. Rachel Washburn is going to be talking cave pharmacognosy, citizen science, and general feral science with Dr. Cassandra Quave on the Foodie Pharmacology podcast. Tune in when it drops and hear what happens when you give her a microphone and ask about cave chemistry.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2026
We're descending into the underworld at Hidden River Cave to collect a bunch of new scientific samples for our latest research studies. Hidden River Cave and American Cave Conservation Association crew are some of our absolute favorite humans, and we’re always delighted when they let us come science their cave.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026:
We’ll be lurking around Scarefest Weekend in Lexington, Kentucky! We'll have stickers and some lab swag, so if you see the Halloween lab shirt, come say hi and you’ll probably leave with a sticker. We’ll be doing all the horror things, acquiring merch we definitely need, checking out panels, and hitting up the Saturday VIP party where Corey MF Taylor is performing with the Cherry Bombs.
Connect with the Washburn 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
Latest from our blog: The CHAOS FILES
Washburn CHAOS Lab
Science is metal. Science is feral. Science is CHAOS.
director@washburnchaoslab.com
#washburnchaoslab
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complex host-abiotic systems
@washburnchaoslab
Feral scientists exploring hostile systems, unstable environments, and the chemistry shaping what survives there.
#feralscience