BioMEMS devices are as important to the future of medicine as microprocessors were to the computer revolution at the end of the last century. BioMEMS is a science that includes more than simply finding biomedical applications for microelectromechanical systems devices. It represents an expansion into a host of new polymer materials, microfluidic physics, surface chemistries and their modification, 'soft' fabrication techniques, biocompatibility, and cost-effective solutions to biomedical problems. It brings together the creative talents of electrical, mechanical, optical, and chemical engineers, materials specialists, clinical laboratory scientists, and physicians. BioMEMS devices are the platform upon which nanomedicine will be delivered.