A new study discovered a novel way bacteria break down a smelly sulfur compound called DMS. They found that a common bacterium, Hyphomicrobium denitrificans XT, can turn DMS into sulfate through a process involving an intermediate compound called thiosulfate. This pathway involves a special enzyme system called Hdr-like, which is crucial for sulfur oxidation. This finding fills a gap in our understanding of how bacteria process sulfur compounds and sheds light on a key step in the global sulfur cycle.