This review, guest edited by Professors Albert van den Berg, Harold Craighead, and Peidong Yang, focuses on the latest advances in microfluidic and nanofluidic research. It highlights the development of microfluidic platforms that enable the miniaturization, integration, automation, and parallelization of (bio-)chemical assays. The review covers a range of microfluidic platforms, including lateral flow tests, linear actuated devices, pressure-driven laminar flow, microfluidic large-scale integration, segmented flow microfluidics, centrifugal microfluidics, electrokinetics, electrowetting, surface acoustic waves, and dedicated systems for massively parallel analysis. Each platform is characterized by its functional principle, microfluidic unit operations, application examples, strengths, and limitations. The review aims to provide a selection scheme for microfluidic platforms based on their characteristics and application requirements, such as portability, cost, sample throughput, precision, and flexibility in programming liquid handling protocols. The introduction discusses the growth of microfluidics research, market trends, and the challenges and opportunities in transitioning from academic research to commercial products. The review also explores the unique properties, requirements, and applications of microfluidic platforms, emphasizing their potential in various fields like biotransformation, analytics, and cellular assays.This review, guest edited by Professors Albert van den Berg, Harold Craighead, and Peidong Yang, focuses on the latest advances in microfluidic and nanofluidic research. It highlights the development of microfluidic platforms that enable the miniaturization, integration, automation, and parallelization of (bio-)chemical assays. The review covers a range of microfluidic platforms, including lateral flow tests, linear actuated devices, pressure-driven laminar flow, microfluidic large-scale integration, segmented flow microfluidics, centrifugal microfluidics, electrokinetics, electrowetting, surface acoustic waves, and dedicated systems for massively parallel analysis. Each platform is characterized by its functional principle, microfluidic unit operations, application examples, strengths, and limitations. The review aims to provide a selection scheme for microfluidic platforms based on their characteristics and application requirements, such as portability, cost, sample throughput, precision, and flexibility in programming liquid handling protocols. The introduction discusses the growth of microfluidics research, market trends, and the challenges and opportunities in transitioning from academic research to commercial products. The review also explores the unique properties, requirements, and applications of microfluidic platforms, emphasizing their potential in various fields like biotransformation, analytics, and cellular assays.