Washburn CHAOS Lab

Washburn CHAOS Lab Welcome to the Washburn CHAOS Lab — Center for geoHealth and Applied Omics Studies based at the Kentucky Geological Survey. Join the chaos.

We are feral scientists who sequence to metal, decoding the interaction of earth processes with health.

This was a great conference. I enjoy the opportunity to share my work and network with new people.
09/04/2025

This was a great conference. I enjoy the opportunity to share my work and network with new people.

🖤💛 CHAOS goes visual 🖤💛I just entered the Scientific Illustration Contest 🎨✨My work blends geology + microbes + medicin...
08/20/2025

🖤💛 CHAOS goes visual 🖤💛
I just entered the Scientific Illustration Contest 🎨✨

My work blends geology + microbes + medicine = organized scientific mayhem. Figures aren’t just pretty pictures—they’re how I get grant reviewers, collaborators, and the public to understand why the underground matters.

BioRender helps me make figures that hit harder than a double-kick drum in a metal breakdown. 🤘

Big news! I just entered the BioRender Scientific Illustration Contest 🎨 (biorender.com)Since my research sits at the cr...
08/20/2025

Big news! I just entered the BioRender Scientific Illustration Contest 🎨 (biorender.com)

Since my research sits at the crossroads of geology, microbiology, and medicine, I rely on visuals that make complex science accessible—whether I’m talking to geologists, biologists, or public health reviewers. BioRender helps me turn “wait, what??” into “oh, that makes sense.”

Wish me luck—and if you’re a fellow science communicator, definitely check them out. Tools like this are a game-changer for explaining interdisciplinary chaos.

Is this rock interesting?Someone sent us a rock that screamed meteorite vibes... but looks can be deceiving.Dr. Alex Was...
07/16/2025

Is this rock interesting?
Someone sent us a rock that screamed meteorite vibes... but looks can be deceiving.

Dr. Alex Washburn from the Kentucky Geological Survey took one look and confirmed:
It’s sandstone — coated in iron like a sneaky little sheepskin.

Cool? Definitely.
From space? Not even close.

Do you have a rock you think might be interesting?
Send it our way! Drop a comment, message us, or shoot an email — and maybe we’ll feature yours next! 🪨📩

07/16/2025

If you're a fan of metal and horror/sci-fi... Ice Nine Kills just released a new song and it's legit!

Why do we collect dirt?Because it’s not just dirt. It’s packed with microbes, minerals, and even radon—and we want to kn...
07/14/2025

Why do we collect dirt?

Because it’s not just dirt. It’s packed with microbes, minerals, and even radon—and we want to know how it all connects.

At the Washburn CHAOS Lab at the Kentucky Geological Survey we’re out in the field collecting soil samples with Laura Hamann to find out:
🔸 What kinds of microbes live underground
🔸 How much radon is present
🔸 And whether they’re working together behind the scenes

This reel is a quick look at the real work behind the research—labeling tubes in the wild, digging through tough Kentucky clay, keeping it sterile, and racing to get everything on ice and into the -80 freezer before it degrades.

Feral science. Real dirt. Real data.


How do you listen to metal music?Sometimes it’s chill.Sometimes it’s full blast, full scream, full wheel-solo mayhem on ...
07/11/2025

How do you listen to metal music?
Sometimes it’s chill.
Sometimes it’s full blast, full scream, full wheel-solo mayhem on the freeway.
Metal doesn’t care about your commute mood. 🤘


Address

310 Columbia Avenue
Lexington, KY
40506

Website

https://youtube.com/@washburnchaoslab

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