Alex Duffner wants people to turn their homes into a new space for scientific discoveries. The recent graduate from Goldsmiths, University of London has created a series of laboratory instruments that double as kitchen appliances.

The inspiration for these domestic machines came after visits to CERN in Switzerland and UK’s National Synchotron Science Facility, Diamond Light Source. Duffner felt that in order to reignite our childlike curiosity about science, he would need to create familiar household objects that could serve a dual purpose.

In the same way that David Steiner explores the repurposing of domiciliary items with his In House project, building everyday objects using household appliances, these hybrid products are able to be repurposed to perform both domestic and scientific functions. A salad spinner can be transformed into a centrifuge, a coffee machine doubles as a spectrometer and a slow cooker becomes a PCR thermal cycler, should you need one. The machines are constructed with wood and ceramics instead of the usual plastic and metal, in order to create a contrast with the clinical nature of traditional scientific equipment.

Duffner is currently collaborating with London-based Technology Will Save Us to turn these prototypes into products and establish an accessible way for more people to experiment and bring science into their home environment.