Book excerpt: This is the first book that comprehensively and systematically describes the new technology of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). Hydrophilic interaction chromatography is a separation technique suitable for polar and hydrophilic compounds and orthogonal to reversed phase liquid chromatography. From small organic molecules to proteins, the text explores the many applications of HILIC in the analytical field. Winner of the President's Award for Excellence, the author explains how HILIC can significantly improve analytical throughput by shortening sample preparation procedure, which is one of the bottlenecks for drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry.