A fusion of cutting-edge research in cell biology, developmental biology and immunology made the recent workshop on Membrane Dynamics in Endocytosis an outstanding success. Members of an increasingly diverse community converged upon the small town of Sant Feliu de Guixols on the coast of Spain, between September 17-22, 2005, to discuss common themes emerging from their studies on membrane transport. Organized by Margaret Robinson (Cambridge, UK) and Howard Riezman (Geneva, Switzerland), the meeting covered diverse topics that highlighted essential roles for endocytosis during cell growth, development and parasitic invasion.