Development of an ICP-MS instrument simulator: software for teaching elemental analysis to undergraduates

An ICP-MS simulation was developed to support the teaching of inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. The app enables students to conduct the quantification of selenium in a nutritional supplement, monitor the uptake of metallodrugs by cells, and perform qualitative analysis of gunshot residue. The experiments teach a range of analytical concepts, including awareness of mass resolution, selection of method parameters, use of internal standards, and statistical evaluation of data. The app is available as freeware for Windows computers, and it is compatible with a tuning application to enable the generation of unique data sets for every user. The software has been successfully used by groups of undergraduate and postgraduate students to support learning in mass spectrometry lecture courses.