Over the last two decades, the introduction of new methods such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and capillary array electrophoresis has made it possible to map and sequence entire genomes, including our own. The development-of these experimental methods has been helped by the progress of theoretical and computational sciences, and the interactions between these three modi operandi of modern science are still pushing the limits of our technologies. We now see a clear trend towards proteomics and microfluidic (even nanofluidic!) devices. In this review, we take a look at the progress of the field over the last 3 years using the glasses of the theoretical scientist and focusing mostly on new ideas and concepts. About a dozen different subfields are discussed and reviewed. We conclude by giving a commented list of some of the best review articles published over the last 2-3 years.