MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) have been widely used and enabled many innovative technologies across various disciplines. Wide varieties of materials have been used for MEMS. They include single crystal silicon, poly-silicon, various metals, ceramics and polymers. In this talk, recent developments of polymer and metal-based MEMS for various biomedical and photonics applications at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will be presented. First, sub-micron scale metallic electro-thermal actuators, electro-thermally-actuated nano- and microgrippers will be discussed. Application of microgrippers to assembly of micro parts for complex 3D microsystems and for viable manipulation of live cells will be presented. Then, recent developments on various biomedical and microfluidic devices at UTD will be presented. They include metallic microneedles for the painless transdermal drug delivery and body fluid sampling, a biocompatible polymeric micro neural probe for record-breaking chronical (> 11 months) recording of neuronal signals from axons re-generated from severed peripheral nerves, and a biocompatible polymeric 3D micro encapsulation cage for cell implantation for enzyme deficient disease cure. Next, a radically different concept for tunable photonic crystal, “Mechanically tunable photonic crystal (McPC)” which is enabled by MEMS actuators and brand new photonic crystal design concept will be discussed. Another way to achieve tunable photonic crystal such as thermo-optic photonic crystal light modulator will also be presented. BIOGRAPHY Dr. Jeong-Bong (J.-B.) Lee received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia in 1993 and 1997 respectively. He is an associate professor in the department of Electrical Engineering at UTD. His current research interests include MEMS for wireless biomedical and photonics applications. His research has been funded by various federal agencies including National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Institute of Science and Technology, and National Institute of Health. He is a recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation's Career Award in 2001. He served as an external review board member for the Microsystems Science and Technology Division at the Sandia National Laboratories, the world most advanced premier microsystems research laboratory under the operation of the U.S. Department of Energy.