Proteomics - post-genomic cartography to understand gene function

The completion of the genomic sequences of numerous organisms from human and mouse to Caenorhabditis elegans and many microorganisms. and the definition of their genes provides a database to interpret cellular protein-expression patterns and relate them to protein function. Proteomics technologies that are dependent on mass spectrometry and involve two-dimensional gel electrophoresis are providing the main window into the world of differential protein-expression analysis. In this article, the limitations and expectations of this research field are examined and the future of the analytical needs of proteomics is explored.