Since their invention 25 years ago, optical tweezers have become the method of choice for physical, chemical and biological experiments that require access to nanometre-scale distances and piconewton-scale forces. The June 2011 issue of Nature Photonicshas a special focus on optical manipulation that describes how beam shaping, the orbital angular momentum of laser light, nano-optics and optoelectronics could help advance the field, as well as detailing the impact of optical manipulation in single-molecule biophysics.