Fantastic beasts and how to find them—Molecular identification of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel. Despite reported sightings over many years, certain mitochondrial-specific channels have proven to be elusive beasts, evading molecular identification. However, combining modern genetics with a wave of their ion-sensing wand, researchers have managed to capture first the mitochondrial calcium uniporter, and now that semi-mythological beast, the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoK_ATP) channel.