How the cell's power station survives attacks

Mitochondria, the power generators in our cells, are essential for life. When they are under attack -- from poisons, environmental stress or genetic mutations -- cells wrench these power stations apart, strip out the damaged pieces and reassemble them into usable mitochondria. Now, scientists have uncovered an unexpected way in which cells trigger this critical response to threats, offering insight into disorders such as mitochondrial disease, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disease.