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 加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物上餐速度快嗎？》台中公益路餐廳推薦｜10間必吃美食實測評比 |
| 時事評論｜政治 2026/04/20 16:33:10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
身為一個熱愛美食、喜歡在城市裡挖掘驚喜的人，臺中公益路一直是我最常出沒的地方之一。這條路可說是「臺中人的美食戰場」，從精緻西餐到創意火鍋，從日式丼飯到義式早午餐，每走幾步，就會有完全不同的特色料理餐廳。 這次我特別花了一整個月，實際造訪了公益路上十間口碑不錯的餐廳。有的是網友熱推的打卡名店，也有隱藏在巷弄裡的小驚喜。我以環境氛圍、口味表現、價格CP值與再訪意願為基準，整理出這篇實測評比。希望能幫正在猶豫去哪裡吃飯的你，找到那一間「吃完會想再來」的餐廳。 評比標準與整理方向
這次我走訪的10家餐廳橫跨不同料理類型，從高質感牛排館到巷弄系早午餐，每一間都有自己獨特的風格。為了讓整體比較更客觀，我依照以下四大面向進行評比，並搭配實際用餐體驗來打分。
整體而言，我希望這份評比不只是「哪家好吃」，而是幫你在不同情境下（約會、家庭聚餐、朋友小聚、商業午餐）都能快速找到合適的選擇。畢竟，美食不只是味覺的滿足，更是一段段與朋友共享的生活記憶。 10間臺中公益路餐廳評比懶人包公益路向來是臺中人聚餐的首選地段，從火鍋、燒肉到中式料理與早午餐，每走幾步就有驚喜。以下是我實際造訪過的10間代表性餐廳清單，橫跨平價、創意、高級各路風格。
一頭牛日式燒肉｜炭香濃郁的和牛饗宴，約會聚餐首選
走在公益路上，很難不被 一頭牛日式燒肉 的木質外觀吸引。低調卻不失質感的門面，搭配昏黃燈光與暖色調的內裝，讓人一進門就感受到濃濃的日式職人氛圍。店內空間不大，但桌距規劃得宜，每桌皆設有獨立排煙設備，烤肉時完全不怕滿身油煙味。 餐點特色
一頭牛的靈魂，絕對是他們招牌的「三國和牛拼盤」。 用餐體驗整體節奏掌握得非常好。店員會在你剛想烤下一片肉時貼心遞上夾子、幫忙換烤網，讓人完全不用分心。整場用餐過程就像一場表演，從視覺、嗅覺到味覺都被滿足。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段162號電話：04-23206800 小結語一頭牛日式燒肉不僅是「吃肉的地方」，更像是一場五感盛宴。從進門那一刻到最後一道甜點，都能感受到他們對細節的用心。 TANG Zhan 湯棧｜文青系火鍋代表，麻香湯底與視覺美感並重
在公益路這條美食戰線上，TANG Zhan 湯棧 是讓人一眼就會想走進去的那一種。 餐點特色
湯棧最有名的當然是它的「麻香鍋」。 用餐體驗整體氛圍比一般火鍋店更有質感。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段248號電話：04-22580617 官網：https://www.facebook.com/TangZhan.tw/ 小結語TANG Zhan 湯棧 把傳統火鍋做出新的樣貌保留臺式鍋物的溫度，又結合現代風格與細節服務，讓吃鍋這件事變得更有品味。 如果你想找一間兼具「好吃、好拍、好放鬆」的火鍋店，湯棧會是公益路上最有風格的選擇之一。 NINI 尼尼臺中店｜明亮寬敞的義式早午餐天堂
如果說前兩間是肉食愛好者的天堂，那 NINI 尼尼臺中店 絕對是想放鬆、聊聊天的好地方。餐廳外觀以白色系與大片玻璃窗為主，陽光灑進室內，讓人一踏入就有種度假般的輕盈感。假日早午餐時段特別熱鬧，建議提早訂位。 餐點特色
NINI 的菜單融合義式與臺灣人口味，選擇多樣且份量十足。主打的 松露燉飯 濃郁卻不膩口，米芯保留微Q口感；而 香蒜海鮮義大利麵 則以新鮮白蝦、花枝與淡菜搭配微辣蒜香，口感層次豐富。 用餐體驗店內氣氛輕鬆不拘謹，無論是一個人帶電腦工作、或朋友聚餐，都能找到舒服角落。餐點上桌速度穩定，服務人員態度親切、補水與收盤都非常主動。整體節奏讓人覺得「時間變慢了」，很適合想遠離忙碌日常的人。 綜合評分
地址：40861臺中市南屯區公益路二段18號電話：04-23288498 小結語NINI 尼尼臺中店是一間能讓人放下手機、慢慢吃飯的餐廳。餐點不追求浮誇，而是以「剛剛好」的份量與風味，陪伴每個平凡午後。如果你在找一間能邊吃邊聊天、拍照也漂亮的早午餐店，NINI 會是你在公益路上最不費力的幸福選擇。 加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物｜平價卻用心的湯頭系火鍋，家庭聚餐好選擇
在公益路這條高質感餐廳林立的戰場上，加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物 走的是截然不同的路線。它沒有浮誇的裝潢、也沒有高價位的套餐，但靠著實在的湯頭與親切的服務，默默吸引許多回頭客。每到用餐時間，總能看到家庭或情侶三兩成群地圍著鍋邊聊天。 餐點特色
主打 北海道浜中昆布湯底，湯頭清澈卻不單薄，越煮越能喝出海藻與柴魚的自然香氣。 用餐體驗整體氛圍偏家庭取向，桌距寬敞、座位舒適，帶小孩來也不覺擁擠。店員態度親切，補湯、收盤都很勤快，給人一種「被照顧著」的安心感。 綜合評分
地址：403臺中市西區公益路288號電話：0910855180 小結語加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物是一間「不浮誇、但會讓人想再訪」的火鍋店。它不追求豪華擺盤，而是用最簡單的湯頭與新鮮食材，傳遞出家常卻不平凡的溫度。 印月餐廳｜中式料理的藝術演繹，宴客與家庭聚會首選
說到臺中公益路的中式料理代表，印月餐廳 絕對是榜上有名。這間開業多年的餐廳以「中菜西吃」的概念聞名，把傳統中式料理以現代手法重新詮釋。從建築外觀到餐具擺設，每個細節都散發著低調的典雅氣息。 餐點特色
印月最令人印象深刻的是他們將傳統中菜融入創意手法。 用餐體驗服務方面完全對得起餐廳的高級定位。從入座、點餐到上菜節奏，都拿捏得恰如其分。每道菜都會有服務人員細心介紹食材與吃法，讓人感受到「被款待」的尊榮感。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段818號電話：0422511155 小結語印月餐廳是一間「不只吃飯，更像品味生活」的地方。 KoDō 和牛燒肉｜極致職人精神，專為儀式感與頂級味覺而生
若要形容 KoDō 和牛燒肉 的用餐體驗，一句話足以總結——「像在欣賞一場關於肉的表演」。 餐點特色
這裡主打 日本A5和牛冷藏肉，以「精切厚燒」的方式呈現。 用餐體驗KoDō 的最大特色是「儀式感」。 綜合評分
地址：403臺中市西區公益路260號電話：0423220312 官網：https://www.facebook.com/kodo2018/ 小結語KoDō 和牛燒肉不是日常餐廳，而是一場體驗。 永心鳳茶｜在茶香裡用餐的優雅時光，臺味早午餐的新詮釋
走進 永心鳳茶公益店，彷彿進入一間有氣質的茶館。 餐點特色
永心鳳茶的餐點結合中式靈魂與西式擺盤，無論是「炸雞腿飯」還是「紅玉紅茶拿鐵」，都能讓人感受到熟悉卻不平凡的味道。 用餐體驗店內服務人員態度溫和，對茶品介紹詳盡。上餐節奏剛好，不急不徐。 綜合評分
地址：40360臺中市西區公益路68號三樓(勤美誠品)電話：0423221118 小結語永心鳳茶讓人重新定義「臺味」。 三希樓｜老饕級江浙功夫菜，穩重又帶人情味的中式饗宴
位於公益路上的 三希樓 是許多臺中老饕的口袋名單。 餐點特色
三希樓的菜色以 江浙與港式料理 為主，兼顧傳統與現代風味。 用餐體驗三希樓的服務給人一種老派但貼心的感覺。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段95號電話：0423202322 官網：https://www.sanxilou.com.tw/ 小結語三希樓是一間「吃得出功夫」的餐廳。 一笈壽司｜低調奢華的無菜單日料，職人手藝詮釋旬味極致
在熱鬧的公益路上，一笈壽司 低調得幾乎不顯眼。 餐點特色
一笈壽司採 Omakase（無菜單料理） 形式，每一餐都由主廚根據當日食材設計。 用餐體驗整場用餐約90分鐘，節奏緩慢但沉穩。 綜合評分
地址：408臺中市南屯區公益路二段25號電話：0423206368 官網：https://www.facebook.com/YIJI.sushi/ 小結語一笈壽司是一間真正讓人「放慢呼吸」的餐廳。 茶六燒肉堂｜人氣爆棚的和牛燒肉聖地，肉香與幸福感同時滿分
若要票選公益路上「最難訂位」的餐廳，茶六燒肉堂 絕對名列前茅。 餐點特色
茶六主打 和牛燒肉套餐，價格約落在 $700–$1000 間，份量與品質兼具。 用餐體驗茶六的服務效率相當高。店員親切、換網勤快、補水速度快，整場用餐流程流暢無壓力。 綜合評分
地址：403臺中市西區公益路268號電話：0423281167 官網：https://inline.app/booking/-L93VSXuz8o86ahWDRg0:inline-live-karuizawa/-LUYUEIOYwa7GCUpAFWA 小結語茶六燒肉堂用「穩定品質＋輕奢氛圍」抓住了臺中年輕族群的心。 吃完10家公益路餐廳後的心得與結語吃完這十家餐廳後，臺中公益路不只是一條美食街，而是一段生活風景線。 有的餐廳講究細膩與儀式感，像 一頭牛日式燒肉 與 一笈壽司，讓人感受到食材最純粹的美好 有的則以親切與溫度打動人心，像 加分昆布鍋物、永心鳳茶，讓人明白吃飯不只是為了飽足，而是一種被照顧的幸福。 而像茶六燒肉堂、TANG Zhan 湯棧 這類人氣名店，則用穩定的品質與熱絡的氛圍，成為許多臺中人心中「想吃肉就去那裡」的代名詞。 這十家店，構成了公益路最動人的縮影 有華麗的，也有溫柔的；有傳統的，也有創新的。 每一家都在自己的風格裡發光，讓人吃到的不只是料理，而是一種生活的溫度與節奏。 對我而言，這不僅是一場美食旅程，更是一趟關於「臺中味道」的回憶之旅。 FAQ：關於臺中公益路美食常見問題Q1：公益路哪一區的餐廳最集中？ Q2：需要提前訂位嗎？ 最後的話若要用一句話形容這趟美食之旅，我會說： 一笈壽司小孩適合去嗎？ 如果你也和我一樣喜歡用味蕾探索一座城市，那就把這篇公益路美食攻略收藏起來吧。KoDō 和牛燒肉包廂適合尾牙嗎？ 無論是約會、慶生、家庭聚餐，或只是想犒賞一下辛苦的自己——這條路上永遠會有一間剛剛好的餐廳在等你。加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物服務態度如何？ 下一餐，不妨從這10家開始。TANG Zhan 湯棧適合多人團聚嗎？ 打開手機、約上朋友，讓公益路成為你生活裡最容易抵達的小確幸。茶六燒肉堂春酒菜色豐富嗎？ 如果你有私心愛店，也歡迎留言分享，加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物有生日驚喜或畫盤嗎？ 你的推薦，可能讓我下一趟美食旅程變得更精彩。一笈壽司整體體驗如何？ A white-necked jacobin hummingbird was incubating its eggs. Credit: Michael Castaño-Díaz A hummingbird chick in Panama mimics a poisonous caterpillar to avoid predators—a rare case of bird-to-insect mimicry. When Jay Falk and Scott Taylor first spotted the white-necked Jacobin hummingbird chick in Panama’s dense rainforest, the bird biologists weren’t sure what they were looking at. The chick, just a day old and no bigger than a pinky finger, was covered in brown fuzz. As they approached the nest, it began twitching and shaking its head, movements neither researcher had ever observed in a bird before. They soon realized the chick might be mimicking a venomous caterpillar native to the same region, using the behavior as a defense against predators. In a paper published March 17 in the journal Ecology, Taylor, a CU Boulder associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and his team documented this type of mimicry in hummingbirds for the first time. “We know so little about how birds behave in tropical nests,” said Falk, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in Taylor’s lab. “This could be much more common than we realize if we spent more time observing and exploring the natural world.” The hummingbird chick was covered in long brown feathers. Credit: Scott Taylor/CU Boulder A chance discovery White-necked Jacobin hummingbirds are common in Central and South America. Male birds have shimmering blue and green feathers, while females tend to sport low-key green plumage. The tropical rainforest is a dangerous place for small birds, said Falk, who’s also a researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Snakes, monkeys, birds, and even insects all prey on them. Prior studies have suggested bird chicks in the tropics are more likely to be eaten by predators than those in temperate forests. The hummingbird chick began shaking its head like a caterpillar when the researchers approached the nest. Credit: Jay Falk/CU Boulder and The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute So how can tiny hummingbird chicks survive? Falk may have stumbled on the answer during a trip to Soberanía National Park in Panama in 2024. Despite the birds’ frequent visits to Falk’s feeders outside his research station in Panama, Falk had never seen a white-necked jacobin chick or its nest before. But last March, co-authors Michael Castaño at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Sebastian Gallan-Giraldo at the University of Antioquia in Colombia discovered a female Jacobin hummingbird incubating an egg in its nest, not far from a forest trail. The nest, smaller than Falk’s palm, was made of plant parts to blend in perfectly with the surrounding environment. A white-necked jacobin hummingbird chick. Credit: Michael Castaño-Díaz Over the following month, the team closely monitored the nest and witnessed a chick hatch from the egg. Unlike most hummingbirds that are born naked, the Jacobin chick was covered in long brown feathers, looking nearly identical to the nest material. That’s when the team witnessed the chick’s unusual jerking behavior. Scientists had never reported a similar behavior in any other hummingbird species. “I started texting a video to people and asking them, ‘What does this look like?’” said Taylor. “And invariably, they said, ‘That looks like a caterpillar.’ It was very exciting.” On the second day after the egg hatched, the team saw a predatory wasp approach the chick when the mother was away. As the wasp hovered above the nest, the chick started to twitch its body vigorously like it had for the researchers, swinging its head from side to side. A few seconds later, the wasp flew away. Surviving the tropical rainforest The Jacobin hummingbird chick reminded Falk and Taylor of a paper they came across previously. Another team of researchers reported that a young cinereous mourner, a songbird native to the Amazonian rainforest, might resemble toxic orange caterpillars from the region by having a bright orange coat and waving its head from side to side when disturbed. Falk and his colleagues looked into other caterpillars in this region of Panama and found that many have similar-looking brown hairs that can give painful stings to predators and even kill them. Some of these caterpillars also shake their heads when they feel threatened, much like the chick. Scientists refer to this survival strategy of mimicking the defensive signaling of a harmful species as Batesian mimicry. For example, some non-venomous milk snakes have developed a pattern of red, yellow, and black coloring similar to that of venomous coral snakes to ward off predators. “A lot of these really classic examples of Batesian mimicry involve butterflies mimicking other butterflies, or snakes mimicking other snakes. But here, we have a bird potentially mimicking an insect, a vertebrate mimicking an invertebrate,” Taylor said. While the study described a single observation, the researchers hope to test their theory in the future through experiments like placing artificial chicks with different looks and behaviors in nests to see which are more likely to be attacked by predators. They also hope to encourage birdwatchers and citizen scientists to document more hummingbird nests. “Our perception of the natural world is very biased by our own thoughts about what could be possible,” Taylor said. “It’s incredible what we can discover, but we really have think broadly.” Reference: “Potential caterpillar mimicry in a tropical hummingbird” by Jay J. Falk, Michael Castaño-Diaz, Sebastian Gallan-Giraldo, Joseph See and Scott Taylor, 17 March 2025, Ecology. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.70060 Lionfish, like the one seen here in Belize, can be devastating for the local ecosystems they invade. Credit: Luiz Rocha © California Academy of Sciences Researchers say management of the predatory fish is critical to protecting Brazil’s coral reefs and marine biodiversity. Since arriving to the northern Atlantic Ocean less than 30 years ago, lionfish have quickly become one of the most widespread and voracious invasive species, negatively impacting marine ecosystems — particularly coral reefs — from the northeast coast of the United States to the Caribbean Islands. In a new study, an international research team including the California Academy of Sciences presents four new records of lionfish off the coast of Brazil, confirming the invasion of the predatory fish into the South Atlantic for the first time. Their findings, published today (June 3, 2021) in Biological Invasions, discuss how the lionfish may have arrived in the region, and hold important insights on how Brazil’s diving and fishing communities can help manage the invasion before it potentially devastates local ecosystems. “For a while, it was uncertain whether or not lionfish would extend into the South Atlantic,” says Academy Curator of Ichthyology and study co-author Luiz Rocha. “Now that we know they are here, it is imperative that we uncover how they arrived and work with local communities to keep the population under control. If left unchecked, lionfish could have a huge impact on local species, particularly those that exist solely in the reefs surrounding Brazil’s oceanic islands.” Sporting maroon stripes and more than a dozen venomous spines, lionfish have long been a staple in the hobbyist aquarium trade. Like other popular aquarium fish, however, they are sometimes irresponsibly released into the wild. Indeed, it is likely that the invasion of lionfish in the Atlantic Ocean began that way. One of the first documented lionfish specimens off the coast of Brazil. Credit: © Clara Buck Once they enter new waters, lionfish can quickly disrupt local ecosystems and disperse to other locations. Due to their broad diet, lack of natural predators, unique hunting style, and year-round reproduction of buoyant eggs that can travel long distances on ocean currents, lionfish have expanded faster than any other invasive marine species. Despite those traits, lionfish have been noticeably absent in the South Atlantic — a phenomenon that the researchers attribute to the northerly flowing currents at the oceanic boundary between Brazilian and Caribbean waters. But in 2015, a local diver photographed a lionfish swimming off the southern coast of Brazil and alerted the researchers, who 11 months later found and collected the specimen confirming the species’ expansion into Brazil. After that initial discovery, the researchers — with help from local fishermen and divers — were able to track down three additional lionfish in Brazil’s waters: two from deep coral reefs known as mesophotic reefs and one from reefs surrounding the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago around 200 miles off the country’s northeastern coast. Though all of the incidents are troubling, the researchers say that the Fernando de Noronha record is of particular concern. “The arrival of lionfish to Brazil’s oceanic islands is especially worrying,” says marine biologist and study co-author Clara Buck. “These unique ecosystems have a high number of endemic species found nowhere else on Earth making them much more sensitive to adverse impacts.” Researchers and local divers capture one of the first invasive lionfish found off the coast of Brazil. Credit: © Paradise Divers Fernando de Noronha To curb the invasion before it accelerates, it is crucial to know how the lionfish are arriving in the region in the first place. In their study, the researchers propose that the lionfish found in the mesophotic reefs may have arrived in a stepping-stone fashion, utilizing deeper reefs under the Amazon plume to slowly push southwards from the Caribbean. In contrast, they suggest that the individual found at Fernando de Noronha arrived by more conventional means, traveling along the currents between the islands and the Caribbean as a larva. Since the archipelago is distant from the mainland, lionfish larvae can subvert the oceanic boundary that exists closer to the coastline. Finally, while the lionfish off the southern coast was too far away from the Caribbean to have arrived there by dispersal or mesophotic reef hopping, the researchers were able to confirm through a DNA analysis that it originated from the Caribbean population, suggesting it may have been removed from the Caribbean and introduced to Brazilian waters through the aquarium trade. Regardless of how they arrived, now that the lionfish are there the researchers urge the Brazilian government and local communities to stem the invasion. While efforts elsewhere in the Atlantic have shown that full eradication of the lionfish is unlikely, the researchers say that keeping population numbers low could buy precious time for local species to adapt to the voracious fish and ultimately avoid predation. From spearing the lionfish they come across to alerting researchers of emerging populations, local fishermen and divers — like those who assisted with this study — will play a critical role in managing the invasion, and protecting the coral reefs and local species that sustain their livelihoods. Despite the challenges they face, Rocha is optimistic they can succeed. “Brazil, and Fernando de Noronha in particular, have robust local diving and fishing communities,” he says. “If we put the right tools in their hands, it is absolutely possible to keep the invasion under control.” Reference: “Multiple lionfish (Pterois spp.) new occurrences along the Brazilian coast confirm the invasion pathway into the Southwestern Atlantic” by Osmar J. Luiz, Wagner C. R. dos Santos, Alexandre P. Marceniuk, Luiz A. Rocha, Sergio R. Floeter, Clara E. Buck, Alex G. C. M. de Klautau and Carlos E. L. Ferreira, 3 June 2021, Biological Invasions. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02575-8 Methane clathrate (white, ice-like material) under a rock from the seafloor of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Deposits such as these demonstrate that methane and other gases cross the seafloor and enter the ocean. Credit: NOAA Georgia Tech researchers have identified a new class of bacterial proteins that stabilize methane clathrates—ice structures that trap methane under the seafloor. These proteins, discovered in sediment samples, function as non-toxic alternatives to commercial clathrate inhibitors used in offshore drilling. This discovery has implications for natural gas transport safety and suggests that similar biomolecules could help sustain microbial life on other planets. Gigatons of greenhouse gas are trapped under the seafloor, and that’s a good thing. Along continental coasts, where slopes descend into the ocean, tiny ice cages hold methane gas in place, preventing it from rising and releasing into the atmosphere. Though not often highlighted in media, these formations, referred to as methane clathrates, are under scrutiny due to their possible impact on climate change. During offshore drilling operations, methane ice can obstruct pipes, leading to freezing and rupture. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster is suspected to have resulted from an accumulation of methane clathrates. A New Class of Bacterial Proteins But until now, the biological process behind how methane gas remains stable under the sea has been almost completely unknown. In a breakthrough study, a cross-disciplinary team of Georgia Tech researchers discovered a previously unknown class of bacterial proteins that play a crucial role in the formation and stability of methane clathrates. A team led by Jennifer Glass, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and Raquel Lieberman, professor and Sepcic-Pfeil Chair in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, showed that these novel bacterial proteins suppress the growth of methane clathrates as effectively as commercial chemicals currently used in drilling, but are non-toxic, eco-friendly, and scalable. Their study, funded by NASA, informs the search for life in the solar system, and could also increase the safety of transporting natural gas. The research, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, underscores the importance of fundamental science in studying Earth’s natural biological systems and highlights the benefits of collaboration across disciplines. “We wanted to understand how these formations were staying stable under the seafloor, and precisely what mechanisms were contributing to their stability,” Glass said. “This is something no one has done before.” Sifting Through Sediment The effort started with the team examining a sample of clay-like sediment that Glass acquired from the seafloor off the coast of Oregon. Glass hypothesized that the sediment would contain proteins that influence the growth of methane clathrate and that those proteins would resemble well-known antifreeze proteins in fish, which help them survive in cold environments. Morphological impact of inhibitors on methane clathrate shell. Left: a cartoon illustrating methane clathrate development at the beginning of clathrate growth and at 3 h, with and without inhibitors. Right: representative photographs of experimental methane clathrate of each growth stage, labeled by treatment. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology But to confirm her hypothesis, Glass and her research team would first have to identify protein candidates out of millions of potential targets contained in the sediment. They would then need to make the proteins in the lab, though there was no understanding of how these proteins might behave. Also, no one had worked with these proteins before. Glass approached Lieberman, whose lab studies the structure of proteins. The first step was to use DNA sequencing paired with bioinformatics to identify the genes of the proteins contained in the sediment. Dustin Huard, a researcher in Lieberman’s lab and first author of the paper, then prepared candidate proteins that could potentially bind to the methane clathrates. Huard used X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of the proteins. Creating Seafloor Conditions in the Lab Huard passed off the protein candidates to Abigail Johnson, a former Ph.D. student in Glass’ lab and co-first author on the paper, who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Georgia. To test the proteins, Johnson formed methane clathrates herself by recreating the high pressure and low temperature of the seafloor in the lab. Johnson worked with Sheng Dai, an associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, to build a unique pressure chamber from scratch. Johnson placed the proteins in the pressure vessel and adjusted the system to mimic the pressure and temperature conditions required for clathrate formation. By pressurizing the vessel with methane, Johnson forced methane into the droplet, which caused a methane clathrate structure to form. She then measured the amount of gas that was consumed by the clathrate — an indicator of how quickly and how much clathrate formed — and did so in the presence of the proteins versus no proteins. Johnson found that with the clathrate-binding proteins, less gas was consumed, and the clathrates melted at higher temperatures. Once the team validated that the proteins affect the formation and stability of methane clathrates, they used Huard’s protein crystal structure to carry out molecular dynamics simulations with the help of James (JC) Gumbart, professor in the School of Physics. The simulations allowed the team to identify the specific site where the protein binds to the methane clathrate. A Surprisingly Novel System The study unveiled unexpected insights into the structure and function of the proteins. The researchers initially thought the part of the protein that was similar to fish antifreeze proteins would play a role in clathrate binding. Surprisingly, that part of the protein did not play a role, and a wholly different mechanism directed the interactions. They found that the proteins do not bind to ice, but rather interact with the clathrate structure itself, directing its growth. Specifically, the part of the protein that had similar characteristics to antifreeze proteins was buried in the protein structure, and instead played a role in stabilizing the protein. The researchers found that the proteins performed better at modifying methane clathrate than any of the antifreeze proteins that had been tested in the past. They also performed just as well as, if not better than, the toxic commercial clathrate inhibitors currently used in drilling that pose serious environmental threats. Preventing clathrate formation in natural gas pipelines is a billion-dollar industry. If these biodegradable proteins could be used to prevent disastrous natural gas leaks, it would greatly reduce the risk of environmental damage. “We were so lucky that this actually worked, because even though we chose these proteins based on their similarity to antifreeze proteins, they are completely different,” Johnson said. “They have a similar function in nature, but do so through a completely different biological system, and I think that really excites people.” Methane clathrates likely exist throughout the solar system — on the subsurface of Mars, for example, and on icy moons in the outer solar system, such as Europa. The team’s findings indicate that if microbes exist on other planetary bodies, they might produce similar biomolecules to retain liquid water in channels in the clathrate that could sustain life. “We’re still learning so much about the basic systems on our planet,” Huard said. “That’s one of the great things about Georgia Tech — different communities can come together to do really cool, unexpected science. I never thought I would be working on an astrobiology project, but here we are, and we’ve been very successful.” Reference: “Molecular basis for inhibition of methane clathrate growth by a deep subsurface bacterial protein” by Dustin J E Huard, Abigail M Johnson, Zixing Fan, Lydia G Kenney, Manlin Xu, Ran Drori, James C Gumbart, Sheng Dai, Raquel L Lieberman and Jennifer B Glass, 14 August 2023, PNAS Nexus. DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad268 The study was funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation. RRG455KLJIEVEWWF |
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