There and back again: a cell biologist's journey from organelles to molecules

Eukaryotic life is defined by the presence of organelles. Organelles, in turn, were classically defined as specialized membrane-bound compartments composed of a unique set of macromolecules which support specific functions. Over the last few decades, a concerted effort into uncovering which components are present in each organelle has shaped our view of cell biology. However, despite some organelles already being visualized over 100 years ago, we are still discovering new organelle residents. Furthermore, our concept of both 'organelles' and 'compartmentalization' has evolved together with our deepening understanding in a number of fields. These include: organelle substructure and organization; the network of contact sites which interconnects all organelles; and membraneless organelles and phase-separated condensates. This review explores how image- and mass spectrometry-based methods can be used to understand the spectrum of where components are localized: from complexes, to subdomains, and whole organelles. The components we mainly focus on are proteins of the mitochondria and secretory pathway organelles.