Protein named after Pikachu

Ever sit back and wonder about the cultural effects that videogames have on us? Here’s some food for thought. According to the Anime News Network, researchers at Japan’s Osaka Bioscience Institute have named a unique protein after Pikachu. The protein is called Pikachurin and “plays a role in the efficient transmission of kinetic vision information from the eyes to the brain.” Apparently, the protein is fast like a Pikachu, hence the name.

And here I was thinking that the only attributes that Pikachu had were its annoying voice, ability to cause epileptic seizures, and desire to shock stuff with lightning. Aren’t there faster Pokemon though? My favorite guy, Snorlax, is the only Pokemon that I really pay attention to. He just sleeps all day and makes you wake him up with a flute in the games.

There you have it, though, videogames/anime changing the world. Maybe next week they’ll create a nanomachine equivalent and name it “MetalGearPikanites.” Perhaps that’s wishful thinking.