Labos

Labos is the plural form of labo, a casual shortening of laboratory used in French and in bilingual contexts. In French, labo means a laboratory, and labos refers to multiple laboratories. The term is also encountered in informal writing or popular culture in English-language texts that incorporate French styling. In formal English, laboratories or labs are standard.

A laboratory is a facility equipped for observation, experimentation, testing, and analysis. Labs enable researchers to isolate variables, measure phenomena, and develop new materials, processes, or medical diagnostics. They range from small teaching spaces to large institutional complexes and are designed with safety, precision, and reproducibility in mind.

Various types of labs include academic research laboratories in universities; clinical or diagnostic laboratories that perform medical testing; industrial and product-development laboratories in manufacturing; government or military laboratories; field laboratories conducted on-site; and computational or data-analysis laboratories that focus on simulations and data processing.

Operations in labs are governed by safety and quality standards. Biosafety levels (BSL-1 to BSL-4) apply to handling biological agents; chemical hygiene, waste management, and electrical and fire safety are enforced by institutional policies and national regulations. For testing and calibration, laboratories may pursue accreditation to standards such as ISO/IEC 17025, while clinical labs follow medical regulations and quality programs (for example CLIA in the United States).

Overall, labos denote the practical spaces where science and engineering advance through controlled experiments and careful documentation. They form a core component of education, research, and industry, and their design emphasizes safety, accuracy, and repeatability.