Lab Notes
The 21st century is the century of biology. Discoveries made in the lab today will shape the cures of tomorrow. On Lab Notes, we're pulling back the curtain on the human stories behind headline-grabbing scientific studies and breakthroughs. Lab Notes is a production of the Allen Institute.
Episodes
Science is supporting the battle against addiction and substance use disorder. Neuroscientists around the world are working to better understand the mechanisms of addictive drug use and how to alleviate the debilitating withdrawal symptoms that cause people to suffer. In this episode of Lab Notes, we meet two social service providers who work directly with people in treatment and recovery on the complex nature of of substance use d...
This episode originally aired on March 14, 2022.
Why is the brain harder to understand than other organs? What can we learn about our brains from studying octopus arms? Is the human brain even capable of understanding itself?
We are revisiting a past episode about the challenges still facing scientists as they work to better understand our brains. Tune in to learn how far we've come, and how far we have to go. Listen on our site...
How does the brain work? Scientists are closer to answering this enigma with the largest wiring diagram and functional map of a mammalian brain to date. In April 2025, the Allen Institute, as part of a global team, unveiled what was once thought impossible: a high-resolution functional map of a cubic millimeter of brain, revealing both form and function. In this Lab Notes episode, the Allen Institute’s Clay Reid, M.D., Ph.D., Nuno ...
Reaching new heights, stem cells from the Allen Institute for Cell Science were flown into space for the first time ever. In 2023, astronauts from Axiom Space studied genetically engineered cells, derived from human skin cells, in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. Axiom Space’s astronaut Peggy A. Whitson and Chief Scientist, Dr. Lucie Low; along with Professor Arun Sharma from Cedars-Sinai share the experience an...
Where are we with long COVID? Researchers at the Allen Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center are working to understand the science behind this new chronic disease.
Behind every science headline, there is a human story. Hear about the scientific advancements aiming to shape the cures of tomorrow with Lab Notes: A podcast from the Allen Institute. Streaming everywhere.
Reward is essential for life. Our brains flood with feel-good chemicals when we learn, eat, have sex. But these essential brain circuits are hijacked in drug addiction. Neuroscientists at the Allen Institute and the University of North Carolina are working to crack the biology of reward and addiction. Hear about their work and their hopes for the future of treating addiction in this episode of Lab Notes.
Behind every science headlin...
It is no secret that social isolation has major developmental consequences on humans, but what about other social creatures like bumblebees? Neuroscientist Z Yan Wang investigated how social isolation impacted young bumblebees, and it looks like they grow up to be a little ‘socially awkward.’ Dr. Wang joins Lab Notes to talk about one of her favorite social insects.
Behind every science headline, there is a human story. Hear about t...
Can we put a number on human consciousness? Neuroscientist Christof Koch is leading an effort to build a consciousness meter that could have real-world applications to determine whether coma patients are in a true vegetative state. Christof joined Lab Notes to talk about the science of consciousness, what psychedelic drugs have to do with consciousness, and how this new project could one day have applications in hospitals and clini...
Scientists have known for centuries that the brain is the seat of human thought, but we’re still in the dark about how it works. For Brain Awareness Week 2022, Lab Notes asked four neuroscientists to get into the weeds with us about why the brain is so complicated and hard to understand. Do we have any hope of understanding our own brains?
Behind every science headline, there is a human story. Hear about the scientific advancements ...
In the early '80s, Linda Sloate was a 30-year old mom raising three little kids when she became one of an estimated 20 million people worldwide living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It has been a 40-year struggle filled with dozens of treatments and surgeries. Today there is new hope for patients as researchers have come together for a collaborative project to uncover how RA begins – and how to stop it in its tracks.
Behind ev...
When neuroscientist Christina Kim published an important research study, her close friend, novelist Yaa Gyasi, wanted to understand more about her friend’s work, so she asked to shadow her in the lab. That experience eventually formed the basis for Gyasi’s moving novel about addiction and mental illness, Transcendent Kingdom.
Behind every science headline, there is a human story. Hear about the scientific advancements aiming to shap...
Aldan Beaubien was in high school when a smorgasbord of bagels, cream cheese and apple juice left him in agony. Months later, doctors diagnosed him with Crohn's disease. Now an IT engineer at a research institute studying the disease, Aldan has new hope for better treatments or even a cure.
Behind every science headline, there is a human story. Hear about the scientific advancements aiming to shape the cures of tomorrow with La...
In the winter of 2019, a series of storms dubbed “Snowpocalypse” dumped more than 20 inches of snow on the Seattle area, forcing the closure of schools and businesses. This weather-induced social-distancing caused flu cases to plummet. What researchers learned from these snowstorms helped prepare them for the coronavirus pandemic and find what, at the time, were the earliest known cases of community spread. Their
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