Researchers from the Microtubule Organization lab, headed by Jens Lüders at IRB Barcelona, and the Macromolecular Complexes in DNA Damage Response Group, led by Oscar Llorca at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), have achieved the first in vitro reconstitution of the human -tubulin ring complex (γTuRC), responsible for initiating microtubule formation. In addition, they revealed its 3-D structure by cryo-electron microscopy. The key to their success lies in the identification of the RUVBL protein complex as an essential γTuRC assembly helper.