This article focuses on analytical strategies integrating atomic
spectroscopy in biotechnology. The rationale behind
developing such methods is inherently linked to unique features
of the key technique in elemental analysis, which is inductively
coupled plasma mass spectrometry: (1) the high sensitivity and
selectivity of state of the art instrumentation, (2) the possibility
of accurate absolute quantification even in complex matrices,
(3) the capability of combining elemental detectors with
chromatographic separation methods and the versatility of the
latter approach, (4) the complementarity of inorganic and
organic mass spectrometry, (5) the multi-element capability
and finally (6) the capability of isotopic analysis. The article
highlights the most recent bio-analytical developments
exploiting these methodological advantages and shows the
potential in biotechnological applications.