r/labrats

Community Overview

About r/labrats

Welcome to r/LabRats! A space for scientists, researchers, and lab workers to share experiment fails, lab wins, and PI woes. Do you need advice, a place to vent, or just some lab-life humor? Want to share your big successes, your awesome protocols, and tricks of the trade? Join your fellow labrats. We also have a discord server! https://discord.gg/385mCqr

The community at a glance

r/labrats is a Subreddit for Chemists and Biologists with roughly 721K members. It uses a forum format for communication. On the Hive Index it ranks #1 in the Chemistry communities list and #8 in the Biology communities list.

Roughly 45K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Lab, Looking For A, and Struggling. Common discussion themes are Advice Requests and Pain & Anger. Product recommendations often mention antibody, book, and plate.

On Reddit
721K Members

Subreddit Analysis

via GummySearch
Yearly: +45K members
Growth: +6.7% / year

Member growth over time

All time (yearly)

  • 2013: 2K members
  • 2014: 2K members
  • 2015: 3K members
  • 2016: 3K members
  • 2017: 8K members
  • 2018: 21K members
  • 2019: 43K members
  • 2020: 112K members
  • 2021: 238K members
  • 2023: 191K members
  • 2024: 29K members
  • 2025: 38K members
  • 2026: 30K members

Past year (monthly)

  • Sep: 2K members
  • Oct: 2K members
  • Nov: 3K members
  • Dec: 6K members
  • Jan: 5K members
  • Feb: 4K members
  • Mar: 4K members
  • Apr: 5K members
  • May: 4K members
  • Jun: 4K members
  • Jul: 4K members
  • Aug: 104 members

Themes

  • Advice Requests
    8 posts in the past month
    1. Need help breaking into Clinical Research.
    2. Undergrad with active research grants & clinical lab experience — How to target European PIs for Erasmus+ internships?
    3. Feeling career regret…can anyone help?
    #1
    Advice Requests
    Need help breaking into Clinical Research. · Undergrad with active research grants & clinical lab experience — How to target European PIs for Erasmus+ internships? · Feeling career regret…can anyone help?
    8
  • Pain & Anger
    7 posts in the past month
    1. Senior PhD student, no publications, advisor keeps moving my graduation date — how do I actually finish?
    2. Supervisor frustrations
    3. Why I’m leaving this field - also an appreciation posts to everyone in this field
    #2
    Pain & Anger
    Senior PhD student, no publications, advisor keeps moving my graduation date — how do I actually finish? · Supervisor frustrations · Why I’m leaving this field - also an appreciation posts to everyone in this field
    7
  • Solution Requests
    7 posts in the past month
    1. Made 4 free web tools for pre-formulation/analytical work so you don't have to beg for an enterprise license
    2. Western blot troubleshooting
    3. Bad wet transfer to PVDF membrane Troubleshooting
    #3
    Solution Requests
    Made 4 free web tools for pre-formulation/analytical work so you don't have to beg for an enterprise license · Western blot troubleshooting · Bad wet transfer to PVDF membrane Troubleshooting
    7
  • Opportunities
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Calling all hiring managers
    2. Trying to find opportunities to build experience but then rejected for lack of experience.
    #4
    Opportunities
    Calling all hiring managers · Trying to find opportunities to build experience but then rejected for lack of experience.
    2
  • Self-Promotion
    1 post in the past month
    1. I was sick of juggling 8 tabs to do one literature review, so I built a single tool that does the whole pipeline (I'm the creator — feedback wanted)
    #5
    Self-Promotion
    I was sick of juggling 8 tabs to do one literature review, so I built a single tool that does the whole pipeline (I'm the creator — feedback wanted)
    1

Topics

  • Lab
    32 posts in the past month
    #1
    Lab
    32
  • Looking For A
    26 posts in the past month
    #2
    Looking For A
    26
  • Struggling
    16 posts in the past month
    #3
    Struggling
    16
  • Software
    9 posts in the past month
    #4
    Software
    9
  • Research
    8 posts in the past month
    #5
    Research
    8

Product recommendations

  • antibody
    3 posts in the past month
    1. Anyone could recommend a brand of anti-claudin5 antibody for western blot/IF ?
    2. Which BNIP3L or Nix antibody (mitophagy) would you recommend to buy? (for tissue)
    3. Need HRP conj secondary antibody that will x-react with mouse and human IgG in ELISA. Any recs?
    #1
    antibody
    Anyone could recommend a brand of anti-claudin5 antibody for western blot/IF ? · Which BNIP3L or Nix antibody (mitophagy) would you recommend to buy? (for tissue) · Need HRP conj secondary antibody that will x-react with mouse and human IgG in ELISA. Any recs?
    3
  • book
    3 posts in the past month
    1. Could you recommend a similar book?
    2. Can anyone recommend a book about calculations in molecular biology?
    3. Can someone recommend a good book on bacterial genetics & molecular biology?
    #2
    book
    Could you recommend a similar book? · Can anyone recommend a book about calculations in molecular biology? · Can someone recommend a good book on bacterial genetics & molecular biology?
    3
  • plate
    3 posts in the past month
    1. Best way to collect data about agar plate composition?
    2. Best way to collect data about agar plate composition?
    3. Best plate washer?
    #3
    plate
    Best way to collect data about agar plate composition? · Best way to collect data about agar plate composition? · Best plate washer?
    3
  • gloves
    2 posts in the past month
    1. What are the best nitril gloves to use?
    2. Can anyone recommend gloves for hot xylene?
    #4
    gloves
    What are the best nitril gloves to use? · Can anyone recommend gloves for hot xylene?
    2
  • pipette
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Best brand for pulled glass micropipettes?
    2. Please recommend your favorite pipette TIPS! RIP Denville :(
    #5
    pipette
    Best brand for pulled glass micropipettes? · Please recommend your favorite pipette TIPS! RIP Denville :(
    2

Frequently asked questions

Who is r/labrats for?
Best for Chemists and Biologists enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
Is r/labrats free to join?
This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
How many members does r/labrats have?
Roughly 721K members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
What platform is r/labrats on?
r/labrats runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
What topics does r/labrats cover?
On the Hive Index, r/labrats is organized under Chemists, Biologists.
How do I join r/labrats?
You can join r/labrats by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
What are the Chemistry communities like?
Welcome to the world of online communities for Chemists! These vibrant and diverse platforms offer a virtual haven for scientists, researchers, and enthusiasts alike. Joining these communities provides an invaluable opportunity to connect, collaborate, and exchange knowledge with fellow chemists from around the globe. With variations across different communities, you can find forums dedicated to specific branches of chemistry, such as organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry. Some communities focus on academic discussions and research sharing, while others cater to industry professionals seeking advice on practical applications and career development. Additionally, you may find platforms that emphasize mentorship and support for students and early-career chemists. Whether you're looking for guidance, inspiration, networking opportunities, or simply a space to geek out about chemistry, these online communities have got you covered.