The ability of time-of-flight mass spectrometers to produce up to 10,000 mass spectra per second suggests that these instruments may be ideal for use in GC/MS work. For GC/TOF-MS to be a useful technique, specific improvements in TOF technology are required. To completely utilize the mass spectral data available in TOF-MS, a data system is required that can collect and manipulate these large numbers of mass spectra per second. Progress in instrumentation and data system development, at the Michigan State University/National Institutes of Health Mass Spectrometry Facility, is directed toward the maturation of GC/TOF-MS as a viable technology.