Keanu Reeves has played many roles in “The Matrix” like John Wick and Neo – and now he’s also a bacterium.
Scientists in Germany discovered a potent antifungal compound so deadly that they named it “keanomycin” after the actor.
“Lipopeptides kill so efficiently that we named them after Keanu Reeves because he, too, is so deadly in his roles,” study co-author Sebastian Götz, a researcher Leibniz Institute of Germany For natural product research and infection biology, said in a statement.
Reeves, 58, was answering fan questions during a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread when someone asked him about Keanu Reeves, Anu.
“[Researchers] A naturally occurring compound of some kind was found in Germany [bacteria] Which is so effective at killing fungus, they named it after you: Keenomycin. What are your thoughts on this?” one user asked.
He responded with thanks for the scientists, saying it was “cool” and “real”.
“They should have called it John Wick…but it’s great…and real to me. But thanks, scientists! Good luck, and thanks for helping us out.” Reeves wrote In response via the Lionsgate Reddit account.
Kinomycin, discovered last month, was found to be effective against both plant-fungal diseases and human-pathogenic fungi.
According to a recently published study, the compounds — molecules found in bacteria called lipopeptides — may provide an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. Journal of the American Chemical Society. Kinomycins are also biodegradable and harmless to plants.
The researchers tested the Keanu bacteria on hydrangea infected with Botrytis cinerea, a plant pest that triggers gray mold rot and commonly infects fruits and vegetables and eventually damages crops.
It was found that the bacterium was affected by fungal decay because it inhibited the growth of the fungus.
They also tested the compound against fungi that are dangerous to humans, such as Candida albicans, and found that the deadly bacteria inhibited the fungus and was safe for humans.
“We have a crisis in anti-infectives. … Many human-pathogenic fungi are now resistant to antimycotics (antifungals) – partly because they are used in large quantities in agricultural fields,” Götze said.
Fungal infections have been a big topic in pop culture lately thanks to the HBO series “The Last of Us,” which suggests they can be difficult — but not impossible — to treat.
Keanu Reeves bacteria are “good lead structure candidates for antifungal drug development”, and may be a new potential candidate for antifungals, which are in high demand due to few drugs available against fungal infections.
The researchers will conduct further investigations on kinomycin.
