The evidence: The molecular biologist's laboratory

Dr Harry White is a senior research fellow and member of the Department of Immunobiology at the Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital

"Everything on this bench is geared towards the manipulation of small amounts of liquid. I can use up to 1,000 `tips' (1) a day. There is a tiny amount of a DNA sample in each one, to which I add different types of enzymes (2). The block (3) heats the samples, mimicking the natural process of a cell. The centrifuge (4) spins the liquid, separating it to the bottom of the tube. I've had the figures on the shelf for ages, the one on the left (5) reminds me not to be religious. The autoradiograph (6) is an X-ray of a DNA sample which has undergone chemical reactions. My stereo (7) has an anti-theft device - someone has been stealing chips from the computers. I write down the experiments in my lab book (8) as they happen. To use an analogy, it's like working in a hi-tech kitchen."

Photograph by Adrian Fisk