Rapid growth in the preparative and high-resolution analytical applications of metal-affinity chromatography demonstrate the appeal of metal recognition as a basis for protein separations. Stable, inexpensive chelated metals effectively mimic biospecific interactions, providing selective ligands for protein binding. This article reviews recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of metal-protein recognition that underlie metal-affinity separations. Also discussed are schemes for integrating metal-affinity purifications into the expression and bioprocessing of recombinant proteins. Promising future developments include new metal-affinity processes for analytical and preparative-scale separations and a range of techniques for enhancing the selectivity of metal-affinity separations.