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.