Cells communicate with each other and with the environment using tiny antennae, called cilia, that emit and receive signals, including sound, smell and light information. Some of these antennae can also move, and are altered in several diseases leading to infertility, loss of vision, obesity, and other symptoms. Interestingly, some patients may have all of these symptoms, while others may have only one type of defect. It has not been well understood how cells can make antennae with such different functions. A team from the Gulbenkian Institute of Science has now discovered that the foundations of these antennae are diverse, contributing to the assembly of antennae with such different functions.