Researchers representing all the northern hemispheric continents gathered for 3 days in Banff, Canada, to hear a wide range of talks on the application of micro- and nanotechnology to drug delivery. Topics included nanotubes, nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, novel inhaled aerosols, antibody engineering and vaccines. Also featured were talks on the application of micro- and nanotechnology to diagnostics, including microfluidics, as well as biomolecular computing. The conference showcased the first demonstration of preliminary concepts for ‘smart particle aerosols’, in which nanofabrication methods are used to produce inhaled aerosol particles with ‘intelligent’ features. The conference provided an excellent forum for cross-fertilisation and discussion between disciplines, with attendees covering a broad range of areas in engineering and the physical and life sciences that are not often found together at a single conference. This breadth of attendees and topics provided a highly stimulating environment. An invitation to next year’s conference (24 – 29 July 2005, Banff, Alberta, Canada) was extended, as listed at the conference website [101].