Book excerpt: Summarizing the latest trends and the current state of this research field, this up-to-date book discusses in detail techniques to perform localized alterations on surfaces with great flexibility, including microfluidic probes, multifunctional nanopipettes and various surface patterning techniques, such as dip pen nanolithography. These techniques are also put in perspective in terms of applications and how they can be transformative of numerous (bio)chemical processes involving surfaces. The editors are from IBM Zurich, the pioneers and pacesetters in the field at the forefront of research in this new and rapidly expanding area.