A new surface engineering approach that enhances mitochondrial stability and cellular uptake promises to advance organelle-based therapeutics. Among these are many bean-shaped mitochondria, often referred to as the cell’s power plants because they generate the energy our bodies need to survive. But what if we could deliver mitochondria themselves directly into target cells to modulate their energy metabolism? The researchers used a surface engineering approach that stabilizes mitochondria and enhances their ability to interact with cells. In laboratory experiments, the CPP–PEG-engineered mitochondrial preparations were taken up more efficiently by cells than unmodified mitochondria.