The first report of the international research consortium organized to map gene-based sequence tagged site markers is now available on the web as an integrated gene map. The human genome is thought to harbor 50,000 to 100,000 genes, of which about half have been sampled to date in the form of expressed sequence tags. More than 16,000 human genes have been mapped relative to a framework map that contains about 1000 polymorphic genetic markers. The gene map unifies the existing genetic and physical maps with the nucleotide and protein sequence databases in a fashion that should speed the discovery of genes underlying inherited human disease. Based on the research of eight institutions, the resulting map debuted in October 1996 on the Human Gene Map site. Users may browse featured genes, and follow the link to the explanatory article from Science Online (October 26, 1996).