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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 J U LY 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 But Austad's message is broader than a mere bet. "Aging kills and debilitates far more people than any other cause because it underlies all of them," he says. " ere's no reason to think we can't go after all these diseases [at once]." e fi nal night's lecture, by researcher Richard Morimoto of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., focuses on quality control mechanisms in our cells. Poor quality control, he says, leads to the buildup of body junk in our cells, and that in turn contributes to disease and aging. "Most components in our tissues and in our brain are constantly replaced," he says. "So why do we age? Our body goes to the junkyard with molecular clutter. We're exceeding the warranties on our parts." at clutter contributes to memory loss and other diseases as we age. He believes one answer lies in treatments that can rejuvenate and regener- ate body parts to improve them. e scientists adjoin for reception to further dis- cuss their work and research surrounding aging. I decide to enjoy the other benefi ts of the seaside campus, and walk past the new training lab to a well- known Maine landmark, the Star Point rock formation, which at one time was used by seaman to navigate. I sit on a bench overlooking the ocean at Salisbury Cove and watch as a kayaker with a fi shing pole plods toward the dock below. I wonder if he was pondering the big ques- tions of science as he paddles. It's a perfect place for it. Lori ValiGra, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached a t l V a l i G r a @ m a i n e b i Z . b i Z a n d @ LVa l i G r a CROOKER' S YELLOW TRUCK S ARE READY TO ROLL! Serving contractors, municipalities, and private enterprises statewide 207-729-3331 www.Crooker.com Commercial site preparation Heavy highway and utility work Pavement production,installation and sales At the aging seminar at MDIBL, Steven Austad, biology department chair at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, talked about a bet he's placed with another researcher that a person who will live to age 150 has already been born. Before GPS, the Star Point Rock formation in Salisbury Cove served as a landmark for mariners. It's now considered one of Maine's most beautiful natural landmarks. P H O T O / L O R I VA L I G R A P H O T O / L O R I VA L I G R A