In principle, if you understood the mechanisms of keeping things repaired, you could keep things going indefinitely.

A big tree seemed even more beautiful to me when I imagined thousands of tiny photosynthesis machines inside every leaf. So I went to MIT and worked on bacteria because that's where people knew the most about these switches, how to control the genetics.

I loved the idea that biology was logical.

You would think that UV just causes mutations, but it doesn't, you need a gene to be active for it.

You could have two completely different careers if you could stay healthy to 90. How fascinating that would be.

Imagine that: If you could change one of the genes in an experiment, an aging gene, maybe you could slow down aging and extend lifespan.

If I were a worm, I would rather be the long-lived mutant than the normal worm, that's for sure.