Keanu Reeves Reacts To Fungus-Killing Bacteria Being Named In His Honor

Keanu Reeves and his roaring résumé of R-rated motion movies have impressed tens of millions — together with German scientists.

The Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology created a brand new, remarkably efficient fungicide and informed Phys on Monday that the chemical compounds “kill so efficiently that we named them after Keanu Reeves because he, too, is extremely deadly in his roles.”

When requested about these “keanumycins” in an “Ask Me Anything” thread on Reddit, which Reeves used to advertise his newest entry within the “John Wick” movie franchise, the soft-spoken film star shared nothing however reward — and a cheeky suggestion of his personal.

“They should’ve called it John Wick…but that’s pretty cool…and surreal for me,” mentioned Reeves wrote within the thread. “But thanks, scientist people! Good luck, and thank you for helping us.”

Keanumycins, produced by soil micro organism, have been proven to kill fungal infections in people whereas leaving wholesome cells alone, in keeping with a examine within the Journal of the American Chemical Society. They’re innocent to crops, however deadly to fungi, and will have functions within the agriculture and well being care industries.

The growth of keanumycins was spurred by fungal organisms like Candida albicans, a reason behind yeast infections in people, which have grown more and more immune to present remedies, Sebastian Götze, co-author of the examine, defined.

“We have a crisis in anti-infectives,” Götze wrote in a press release to Phys. “Many human-pathogenic fungi are now resistant to antimycotics (antifungals) — partly because they are used in large quantities in agricultural fields.”

Fungal ailments trigger colossal harvest losses from mould or rot. Fruits like grapes and strawberries are significantly susceptible. Humans additionally will be bothered with cussed yeast and nail infections.

“Keanu Reeves plays many iconic roles in which he is extremely efficient in ‘inactivating’ his enemies,” Pierre Stallforth, one other co-author of the examine, informed The New York Times. “The keanumycins do the same with fungi.”