Advances in technology, especially in molecular biology, allow for a rapid expansion of research methods. New proteomics and genomics technologies will enable scientists to discover the functions of genes and their protein products, and to get a clear picture of the complex regulatory networks that control fundamental biological processes. Novel high-throughput technology is being developed to give researchers this possibility. These include proteomic arrays, mass spectrometry and a number of high-throughput technologies. Applying genomic and proteomic methods to body fluids and tissue extracts would place valuable objective analytical power in the hands of the clinician however validation of those methods is an important issue. The array of new research tools will be of strategic importance in biological research and for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, and will become available in clinical medicine to aid diagnosis and therapy.