The aim of this special issue ofJAASis to highlight the research currently conducted by outstanding young analytical scientists (YAS) working in academia or industry. The reason for wanting to do so is that the field of analytical atomic spectrometry is changing at an ever-increasing rate. Part of this change is due to the continuous development of new techniques, including new and improved instrumentation, as well as the emergence of novel applications. However, a great deal of change is also being caused by the necessity to obtain, in addition to elemental information, molecular as well. It is therefore extremely important for a journal to capture these changes at their turning point, somethingJAAShas done quite successfully up to now. Even though the challenge of taking forward and maturing these changes is a task for the whole of our field, it is felt that there exists a need to capture and highlight new and innovative ideas originating from the younganalytical scientists who have a significant role to play in its advancement.As our goal was to present a global perspective we invited several prominent Professors and researchers working in the field of atomic spectrometry to suggest outstanding YAS as contributors. Letters of invitation were sent to the nominated YAS. The outcome is this special issue consisting of twenty-eight research papers, written by thirty-one YAS working in Universities, Research Institutes and industrial organizations from across the globe. Some of the research themes covered include elemental speciation, new developments and applications of laser ablation ICP-MS, isotope ratio measurements, determination of proteins by ICP-MS, improvements in methods used for total elemental determinations, basic studies of ICP, improved sample introduction systems, and on-chip instruments.The elemental speciation papers include work describing the use of static-SIMS for the speciation of inorganic compounds, isotope dilution ICP-MS techniques for the accurate determination of butyltin compounds and metal complexes with metallothionein, improvements and comparisons of extraction procedures used for As, Sn and Hg speciation which are also used to evaluate the bioavailability of Cd and Pb in cocoa, advances in Se speciation, and finally speciation of inorganic Sb in drugs used for leishmaniasis. The interesting feature here is that a series of state-of-the-art atomic spectrometric techniques have been refined and matured to a point were they are now being used quite routinely. These involve separation techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) coupled on-line with ICP-MS, equipped with either quadrupole or double focusing analysers. In addition, electrospray (ES)MS is being used extensively as a complimentary technique, providing information on the molecular structure of the species under investigation.Laser ablation (LA) ICP-MS is another area in which the YAS of our special issue are heavily active. The use of LA with ICP-MS, equipped with a time-of-flight (TOF) analyser, was described for multi-elemental determinations in oil samples, for 2D mapping of trace elements in soft tissue, and for identifying alloys following single shot LA. In addition, in order to assess prehistoric human migration, LA ICP-MS was used to investigate Sr isotope ratios in prehistoric human bones and teeth. Finally, studies on the fundamental processes occurring during LA ICP-MS are presented. These include an investigation of the effect of particle size distribution on ICP-induced elemental fractionation, and on the attenuation of spectral interferences by using an rf only collision and reaction cell. Judging from these papers it is expected that many more advances will originate from the YAS working in this field.Of course, attempts to improve the efficiency with which liquid samples are introduced into an ICP always attracts attention, as demonstrated by the research paper on a new torch integrated sample introduction system used in conjunction with ICP-AES.Another touch of innovation is demonstrated by this group of YAS in a paper describing the simultaneous determination of cell lysate proteins using element-tagged immunoassay coupled with ICP-MS. Clearly this is an area that will receive increased interest in the future, as is the case with the development of on-chip instruments. In the present special issue work aimed at developing an on-chip gas chromatograph with integrated plasma emission detector is presented.It is also comforting to see that some of the more mature techniques such as atomic absorption spectrometry and ICP-AES still capture the attention of YAS, as demonstrated by the several papers describing their application for total elemental determinations, as well as for elemental speciation. Other applications presented include using magnetic sector ICP-MS to determine isotopic ratios for the purpose of tracing pollution; in this case Pb isotope ratios were determined in marine sediments samples taken from Antarctica. Also presented are studies on the capabilities of ICP-MS for accurately measuring Fe isotopic ratios, how digestion procedures affect the determination of rare earth elements in peat and plant materials by ultrasonic nebulisation ICP-MS, and the use of ETV-ICP-MS for the fast and reliable determination of silicon in polyamides. Finally, theoretical studies, involving a numerical simulation describing the effects of adding hydrogen to an argon glow discharge source.With this special issue it is our hope to give our community a view into the future by highlighting some of the analytical scientists and their research interests that are expected to influence the future directions of analytical atomic spectrometry.I wish to thank my many prominent colleagues for their suggestions of contributors. Their experience in training and working with young analytical scientists has made their advice truly invaluable. Also, special thanks must be given to theJAASEditorial Staff for their hard work in organizing and publishing this issue. Finally, the authors themselves for responding so positively to our invitation, but also for their tireless efforts to get their manuscripts prepared and in on time. For me it has been a joy helping to organize this special issue.