Book excerpt: Presenting a wide variety of methods, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the current state -- ranging from bioanalysis to electrochemical sensing, forensics and chemistry, while also covering the toxicity aspects of nanomaterials to humans and the environment. Edited by rising stars in the field, the first section on biological analysis includes an investigation of nanoparticles and micro- and nanofluidic systems, while the second, environmental analysis, looks at the detection, monitoring, and sensing of explosives as well as pollutants, among other topics. The final part covers such advanced methods as the synthesis and characterization of gold nanorods. For analytical chemists, materials scientists, chemists working in trace analysis, and spectroscopists.