Metallomics—an interdisciplinary and evolving field

Plate1 Dr D. W. Koppenaal.

Plate2 Professor G. M. Hieftje.

In an editorial earlier this year (JAAS, 2007, 22, 111), we opined that metallomics, the study of metals in biological systems, would be an increasingly important topic in elemental analysis in general and for this journal in particular. This issue of the journal, co-edited by the two of us, is a second special issue covering the subject of Metallomics (the first issue was JAAS, 2004, 19(1)). The present issue is comprised of technique, application, and perspective papers that address this emerging field of study and show how atomic spectrometry is contributing to the understanding of biological systems. The subjects covered range from metal binding in plants, through investigations of metal and metalloids in samples of biological fluids, to the study of food supplements and drug interactions in cells.

The issue includes two Critical Reviews. Yuxi Gao and colleagues discuss advanced nuclear analytical techniques for the emerging field of metalloproteomics, while Laura Liermann and her colleagues consider how micro-organisms extract metals from minerals in the environment for utilization in metabolic processes.

The content of some of these papers stretches the traditional boundaries and scope of this journal, as echoed by the reviewers of some of the papers. This discussion about scope requires perhaps further debate. However, it is our view that while the journal must remain true to its core aims, it must also strive to accommodate and motivate a wider authorship and readership. Metallomics is a field that transcends biology and microbiology, biochemistry, clinical chemistry, environmental chemistry, geochemistry, and yes, atomic spectroscopy. If JAAS aspires to be a leading force in metallomics, the journal must expand its horizons beyond traditional analytical spectroscopy per se. Accordingly, in this special issue you will find papers that have a heavy clinical emphasis, which speak to complementary (non-atomic) spectroscopic techniques, and which provide perspectives that only touch on the use of atomic spectroscopy. The field of metallomics is still in the process of being defined and we hope to inform that definition by including the widest body of technical literature on the subject. We hope that you will find these contributions to be informative, inspiring, and enlightening and consider submitting your own research in this area to JAAS.

David W. Koppenaal

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Gary M. Hieftje

Indiana University

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