German scientists name new fungicide in honor of Keanu Reeves and his 'deadly' roles
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: We have heard about landmarks being named after famous movie characters, but this might be a first. A new fungicide was named in honour of Keanu Reeves' character 'John Wick'. The chemical, called Keanumycins, fights against fungi that are harmful to humans and plants. According to a press release, it is an eco-friendly substitute for chemical pesticides.
"The lipopeptides kill so efficiently that we named them after Keanu Reeves because he, too, is extremely deadly in his roles," Sebastian Götze, a researcher with Germany's Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, shared in a press release on Monday, March 6.
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Who is John Wick?
'John Wick's is the titular character of a 2014 American action thriller, written by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski. The plot centers around John Wick (Keanu Reeves), a famous hitman pulled out of retirement to take vengeance on the people who killed his puppy, the last gift from his recently deceased wife. 'John Wick' (2014) received generally positive reviews. Reeves' performance received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, who hailed it as a return to form for the actor. Quite a few considered it was a fitting role for the actor, benefitting from his stern and taciturn manner for a character who expresses intent through actions.
In honor of his role as John Wick, the new compound seems to fit the role perfectly. Upon hearing the news, Reeves wrote on Reddit, sharing his appreciation and thoughts. He said, "They should've called it John Wick…but that's pretty cool…and surreal for me. But thanks, scientist people! Good luck, and thank you for helping us."
What exactly are Keanumycins?
Sebastian Götze, a researcher at Germany's Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infectious Biology, who is also a coauthor of the paper, found that the prospective treatment for fungi comes at a time when the organisms are developing greater resistance to recognized antifungals. Not only are the newly-named microbes effective against plants, but researchers found the compounds, molecules commonly found in bacteria called lipopeptides, also to be an effective treatment against human fungal infections.
The recently discovered antibacterial substances, Keanumycins, are a natural byproduct of the bacteria Pseudomonas, which is commonly present in soil and water. Researchers were studying Pseudomonas to know how well it fought against predatory amoebas when they discovered the chemicals.
According to the study, the chemicals are biodegradable and may be used as an environmentally friendly substitute for pesticides in an effort to protect the food supply. The Keanumycins are also efficient against Candida albicans, a natural yeast that is typically present in the human microbiome but has the potential to overgrow and cause a serious infection.
Reeves will be back on movie screens Friday, March 10, when 'John Wick: Chapter 4' arrives in theaters.
