Our cells have their own internal ‘rubbish collection’ system that gathers up everything that is defective, worn out or foreign. Acting as a sort of ‘cellular stomach’, the so-called lysosomes are responsible for this recycling process. However, the breakdown products must also be transported out of the organelles again; otherwise, there is a risk of neurological disorders, some of which can be severe. A research consortium led by the MHH has now discovered how this works, using sulphate in brain and kidney cells as an example.