The future of the physician scientist. Presidential address delivered before the 76th annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Washington, DC, 4 May 1985.

3,000,000,000 units in a human cell (uncoiled = 2 m) * 10,000,000 genes possible * Information content comparable with a full set of Encyclopedia Britannica * Only about 1% active (rest 'selfish'?) * 100,000 proteins probably make up the constituents of the human body * About 1,000 proteins have names and can be guessed to be present in the body * About 100 proteins have been isolated and definitely characterized in humans * About 10 human proteins have medical uses today SCHEME I