Is "lab" too informal a word for a formal cover letter? When applying for a postdoc position, it makes sense to write something like this in the cover letter:

Dear Professor NAME. I am writing to apply for POSITION in your lab

What I'm stuck on, is that a cover letter is a formal letter, so should be written in a formal register. However, the word &quot;lab&quot; is an abbreviation and so inherently informal, which makes it seem wrong. On the other hand &quot;laboratory&quot; sounds even more wrong because no-one says &quot;at my laboratory&quot; in speech.
Is the word &quot;lab&quot; appropriate in this context?
I agree with you that both lab and laboratory don't sound good. Maybe you could use &quot;group&quot; instead?