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The Book Corner

Separation Methods in Microanalytical Systems is a well designed, organized, and written book which deals with a timely topic. In the last couple of decades scientists started talking about miniaturization of analytical instrumentation and lab-on-a-chip. This book concerns itself with certain aspects of microfluidics—the behavior of fluids in confined spaces and the manipulation of these fluids—namely, the possibility to perform chemical analyses, biochemical assays, and similar processes. The products of this kind of research are often dubbed micro-total analysis systems (m-TAS) or, more generally, lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices. As it is intended for a wide audience, it was also written by contributors from many of the disciplines that constitute the backbone of the LOC community. Of course, this book cannot attempt to cover the entire field of LOC. Instead it focuses on what has been one of the main driving forces behind the development of LOC for the last 15 years: miniaturized separation systems. Separation units are still at the heart of many micro-TAS and LOC devices, and modern separation techniques are indispensable tools for analytical chemists. This book gives an overview of separation techniques on micro-fabricated devices: theoretical background information, design and understanding, fabrication and material issues, implementations, and separation systems in relation to other parts of LOC applications (sample preparation, detection, etc.). It is intended as a one-stop shopping guide for questions concerning separation techniques in microanalytical devices. It is, however, not so much meant only as a quick reference guide, but rather as a place to linger and browse. It is very likely that the information is provided in several locations within the book. A multiauthor volume gives the reader different styles, different approaches, and different opinions. Many topics are so common that they reappear in different chapters, showing different angles to approach a given problem, reflecting the different backgrounds from which researchers attach the same issues. This excellent volume makes a good reference for all those interested in microfludics and can be a text for a graduate course. Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies, 29: 1675–1682, 2006 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN 1082-6076 print/1520-572X online DOI: 10.1080/10826070600678399