Using the recent developments of molecular biology techniques, our laboratory is offering carrier and prenatal diagnosis for a variety of genetic disorders including cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, thalassaemia alpha and beta, sickle cell anaemia, myotonic dystrophy, von Recklinghausen's disease, autosomal polycystic kidney disease, haemophilia A and B, Martin-Bell syndrome (fragile X), Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, etc. It is likely that the rapid advances made in the establishment of the human genetic map will considerably expand the spectrum of diseases for which diagnosis by molecular genetics will become available.