Calibration approaches in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for bioimaging applications

Laser ablation (LA) in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a technically advanced micro-analytical method for direct sampling of solid materials and allows the determination of a majority of elements from the periodic table. In recent years, the technology has undergone major improvements in hardware, software and the methodology, which have led to a significant reduction of the analysis time, higher spatial resolution/image quality, better sensitivity and signal to noise ratios. Reliable and validated quantification procedures remain one of the bottlenecks in LA-ICPMS bioimaging. This review provides a comprehensive overview on different quantification strategies commonly used for bioimaging applications by LA-ICPMS. The advantages and drawbacks of existing quantification approaches in terms of analytical capabilities will be critically discussed and showcases of their application to biological samples will be presented. Recent developments and future perspectives of the field will be discussed. [Display omitted] •Overview of different quantification strategies commonly used for bioimaging applications by LA-ICPMS.•Calibration strategies for bioimaging by LA-ICPMS are based on matrix-matched standards.•Nanoparticle analysis and immuno-mass spectrometry imaging are emerging fields.•Presentation of showcases for the application of quantification for biological samples.