Scientists are so impressed by how effectively a newly discovered molecule fights fungi that they have named it after Hollywood star Keanu Reeves. Why Reeves? Because the actor is known for killing the villains and bad guys in his movies.
One of Reeves' famous action thriller film series, John Wick, has this most iconic move in which he throws his enemy to the ground and finishes him off with a clean gunshot. The fighting technique got so popular that he got worldwide recognition. Even today, it is one of the most-watched films.
The scientists who found the molecule must be fans of Reeves, because it seems like they didn't have to think too far to name the molecule – they called it Keanumycins.
According to news sources, the newly discovered natural product group of Keanumycins in bacteria works effectively against the plant pest Botrytis cinerea, which triggers grey mould rot and causes immense harvest losses yearly. More than 200 different types of fruit and vegetables are affected by this fungal infection, especially strawberries and unripe grapes.
Keanumycins could therefore be an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides, but they could also offer an alternative in the fight against resistant fungi.
In addition, they are handy in fighting against fungi which cause diseases in several organisms. The terminology was part of a new study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Posts about the newly-discovered molecule and its name grabbed attention on the internet, and netizens reacted to it with interesting comments.
Twitter user, @ItsSnowRaven, commented: "Scientists are such geeks, they brought us the Midichloria (a Star Wars reference) bacteria…yes, really… and the Sonic Hedgehog (a fictional extraterrestrial hedgehog) gene… also really. Now, a fungi-fighting molecule named after the John Wick actor.”
Another user, @keanureevesfptr, commented with a laughing emoji and wrote: "Finally that happened. The newly-discovered molecule is named after Keanu Reeves. The lipopeptides kill so efficiently that we named them after Keanu Reeves because he, too, is extremely deadly in his roles, Götze (the scientist) explains with a wink."
And, "There's a group of molecules named after Keanu Reeves because they're as clinical as John Wick in annihilating bad guys", said @abdulmuneer.
