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文章數：92 |
 TANG Zhan 湯棧座位舒適嗎？》台中公益路真的好吃嗎？10家餐廳真實評比 |
| 在地生活｜大台北 2026/04/19 21:23:29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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： 一頭牛日式燒肉有提供尾牙方案嗎？ 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。一頭牛日式燒肉春酒場面夠體面嗎？ 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。一頭牛日式燒肉春酒菜色豐富嗎？ 下一餐，不妨從這10家開始。三希樓慶生氣氛夠嗎？ 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。加分100%浜中特選昆布鍋物有生日驚喜或畫盤嗎？ 如果你有私心愛店，也歡迎留言分享，永心鳳茶整體體驗如何？ 你的推薦，可能讓我下一趟美食旅程變得更精彩。永心鳳茶適合辦部門小聚嗎？ Candida albicans usually co-exists peacefully in the body, but under the right conditions it transforms into hyphae, the dark red filaments pictured above, which can form harmful biofilms. Research shows that a gut hormone called peptide YY also plays a vital role in maintaining the health of the gut microbiome by preventing helpful fungi from turning into more dangerous, disease-causing forms. Peptide YY (PYY), a hormone produced by gut endocrine cells that was already known to control appetite, also plays an important role in maintaining the balance of fungi in the digestive system of mammals, according to new research from the University of Chicago. In a study published in the journal Science, researchers found that specialized immune cells in the small intestine called Paneth cells express a form of PYY that prevents the fungus Candida albicans from turning into its more virulent form. PYY was already known to be produced by endocrine cells in the gut as a hormone that signals satiety, or when an animal has had enough to eat. The new research shows that it also functions as an antimicrobial peptide that selectively allows commensal yeast forms of C. albicans to flourish while keeping its more dangerous forms in check. “So little is known about what regulates these fungi in our in our microbiome. We know that they’re there, but we have no idea what keeps them in a state that provides health benefit to us,” said Eugene B. Chang, MD, Martin Boyer Professor of Medicine at UChicago and senior author of the study. “We now think that this peptide we discovered is actually important for maintaining fungal commensalism in the gut.” Regulating the ‘Mycobiome’ Chang and his team didn’t set to explore the fungal side of the gut microbiome, or “mycobiome” as he calls it. Joseph Pierre, PhD, a former postdoctoral scholar in Chang’s lab who is now an Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was studying the enteroendocrine cells in mice that produce PYY when he noticed that it was also present in Paneth cells. These are important immune system defenders in the gut of mammals, secreting several antimicrobial compounds to prevent dangerous bacteria from flourishing. At first this didn’t make sense, because until then, PYY was only recognized as an appetite hormone. When they tested it against a variety of bacteria, it wasn’t very good at killing them either. But when they ran a computer search for other classes of peptides with a similar structure, they discovered one similar to PYY called magainin 2, which is found on the skin of the African clawed frog. This peptide protects the frogs from infection by both bacteria and fungi, so Chang’s team thought to test PYY’s antifungal properties too. As it turns out, it is not only an effective antifungal agent, but a very specific one as well. “So little is known about what regulates these fungi in our in our microbiome. We know that they are there, but we have no idea what keeps them in a state that provides health benefit to us.” Eugene B. Chang, MD C. albicans is a yeast that typically grows in small amounts in the mouth, on the skin, and in the intestines. The basic yeast form is commensal, or coexists peacefully in the body, but given the right conditions it transforms into what are called hyphae that branch out to form biofilms. When too much grows, it causes thrush, an infection in the mouth and throat, vaginal yeast infections, or more serious generalized infections in the body. When Chang’s team tested PYY against both forms of the fungus, it effectively prevented growth and killed the more dangerous hyphae while sparing the commensal Candida yeast. “This is a unique example of an ‘innate’ antimicrobial peptide secreted by Paneth cells that specifically kills the virulent form of this fungi and has no effect on the on the commensal form,” Chang said. Making the Most Out of Your Molecules While PYY could be useful as a tool to combat fungal infections, its newly discovered function may play a role in digestive diseases as well. Patients with Crohn’s disease of the ileum, the last portion of the small intestine, often have dysfunctional Paneth cells. Chang said it’s possible that this dysfunction, and lack of PYY, could create an environment for fungi to overgrow and trigger the onset of disease. The full, unmodified version of PYY has 36 amino acids, and when Paneth cells secrete it into the gut it’s an effective antifungal peptide. But when endocrine cells produce PYY, an enzyme clips off two amino acids to turn it into a hormone that can travel through the bloodstream and tell the brain you’re not hungry. Just like discovering its function from a frog, Chang hopes more research on this peptide will turn up more surprises. “This is an example of the wisdom and beauty of nature that has repurposed a molecule, so it has two different functions,” he said. “That’s really cool, because this is an efficient way of making the most out of things you already have.” Reference: “Peptide YY: A Paneth cell antimicrobial peptide that maintains Candida gut commensalism” by Joseph F. Pierre, Brian M. Peters, Diana La Torre, Ashley M. Sidebottom, Yun Tao, Xiaorong Zhu, Candace M. Cham, Ling Wang, Amal Kambal, Katharine G. Harris, Julian F. Silva, Olga Zaborina, John C. Alverdy, Herbert Herzog, Jessica Witchley, Suzanne M. Noble, Vanessa A. Leone and Eugene B. Chang, 3 August 2023, Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.abq3178 The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, and the University of Chicago Gastrointestinal Research Foundation. Additional authors include Brian M. Peters from the University of Tennessee; Diana La Torre, Ashley M. Sidebottom, Yun Tao, Xiaorong Zhu, Candace M. Cham, Ling Wang, Amal Kambal, Julian F. Silva, Olga Zaborina, and John C. Alverdy from the University of Chicago; Katharine G. Harris from Franklin College; Herbert Herzog from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research; Suzanne M. Noble and Jessica Witchley from the University of California-San Francisco; and Vanessa A. Leone from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. University of Texas at Dallas scientists discovered a unique “housekeeping” process in kidney cells where unwanted content is ejected, rejuvenating the cells. This mechanism, different from typical regeneration in other organs, could explain why kidneys stay healthy for a lifetime. A newly discovered kidney cell renewal process expels waste and organelles, offering potential breakthroughs in disease detection and nanomedicine. Scientists from the University of Texas at Dallas have identified a previously unknown “housekeeping” process in kidney cells that ejects unwanted content, resulting in cells that rejuvenate themselves and remain functioning and healthy. This unique self-renewal method, distinct from known regeneration processes in other body tissues, sheds light on how the kidneys can maintain their health throughout one’s life in the absence of injury or illness. The team detailed their findings in a study recently published in Nature Nanotechnology. Unlike the liver and skin, where cells divide to create new daughter cells and regenerate the organ, cells in the proximal tubules of the kidney are mitotically quiescent — they do not divide to create new cells. In cases of a mild injury or disease, kidney cells do have limited repair capabilities, and stem cells in the kidney can form new kidney cells, but only up to a point, said Dr. Jie Zheng, professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and co-corresponding author of the study. “In most scenarios, if kidney cells are severely injured, they will die, and they cannot regenerate,” said Zheng, a Distinguished Chair in Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “Your kidney will just fail sooner or later. That’s a big challenge in health management for kidney disease. All we can do currently is slow down the progression to kidney failure. We cannot easily repair the organ if it’s injured severely or by chronic disease. “That’s why discovering this self-renewal mechanism is probably one of the most significant findings we’ve made so far. With excellent core facilities and dedicated staff, UTD is a great place to do such cutting-edge research.” Further research may lead to improvements in nanomedicine and early detection of kidney disease, he said. An Unexpected Finding The researchers said their discovery took them by surprise. For 15 years, Zheng has been investigating the biomedical use of gold nanoparticles as imaging agents, for fundamental understanding of glomerular filtration, for early detection of liver disease, and for targeted delivery of cancer drugs. Part of that work has focused on understanding how gold nanoparticles are filtered by the kidneys and cleared from the body through urine. Research has shown that gold nanoparticles generally pass unscathed through a structure in the kidney called the glomerulus and then travel into proximal tubules, which make up over 50% of the kidney. Proximal tubular epithelial cells have been shown to internalize the nanoparticles, which eventually escape those cells to be excreted in urine. But just how they escape the cells has been unclear. In December 2021, Zheng and his chemistry team — research scientist and lead study author Yingyu Huang PhD’20 and co-corresponding author Dr. Mengxiao Yu, research associate professor — were examining gold nanoparticles in proximal tubular tissue samples using an optical microscope, but they switched to one of the University’s electron microscopes (EM) for better resolution. From left: University of Texas at Dallas researchers Dr. Jie Zheng, Yingyu Huang PhD’20, and Dr. Mengxiao Yu recently published a study in Nature Nanotechnology describing a previously unknown self-renewal process in kidney cells. Credit:University of Texas at Dallas “Using the EM, we saw gold nanoparticles encapsulated in lysosomes inside of large vesicles in the lumen, which is the space outside the epithelial cells,” Yu said. Vesicles are small fluid-filled sacks found both inside and outside of cells that transport various substances. “But we also observed the formation of these vesicles containing both nanoparticles and organelles outside of cells, and it was not something we had seen before,” Yu said. The researchers found proximal tubular cells that had formed outwardly facing bulges in their luminal membranes that contained not only gold nanoparticles but also lysosomes, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and other organelles typically confined to a cell’s interior. The extruded contents were then pinched off into a vesicle that floated off into the extracellular space. “At that moment, we knew this was an unusual phenomenon,” Yu said. “This is a new method for cells to remove cellular contents.” A New Renewal Process The extrusion-mediated self-renewal mechanism is fundamentally different from other known regenerative processes — such as cell division — and housecleaning tasks like exocytosis. In exocytosis, foreign substances such as nanoparticles are encapsulated in a vesicle inside the cell. Then, the vesicle membrane fuses with the inside of the cell’s membrane, which opens to release the contents to the outside. “What we discovered is totally different from the previous understanding of how cells eliminate particles. There is no membrane fusion in the extrusion process, which eliminates old content from normal cells and allows the cells to update themselves with fresh contents,” Huang said. “It happens whether foreign nanoparticles are present or not. It’s an intrinsic, proactive process these cells use to survive longer and function properly.” Zheng said their findings open up new areas of study. For example, epithelial cells, like those in the proximal tubules, are found in other tissues, such as the walls of arteries and in the gut and digestive tract. “In the field of nanomedicine, we want to minimize the accumulation of nanoparticles in the body as much as possible. We don’t want them to get stuck in the kidneys, so it’s very important to understand how nanoparticles are eliminated from the proximal tubules,” Zheng said. “Also, if we could learn how to regulate or monitor this self-renewal process, we might find a way to keep kidneys healthy in patients with high blood pressure or diabetes. “If we could develop ways to detect the signature of this process noninvasively, perhaps it could be an indicator of early kidney disease.” Reference: “Proximal tubules eliminate endocytosed gold nanoparticles through an organelle-extrusion-mediated self-renewal mechanism” by Yingyu Huang, Mengxiao Yu and Jie Zheng, 17 April 2023, Nature Nanotechnology. DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01366-7 The studywas funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Science Foundation, and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The research team has increased the sensitivity of the acoustic reporter genes technique to the extent that it can now image a single cell carrying an acoustic reporter gene within body tissue. Credit: Barth van Rossum for Caltech If you are a researcher who wants to see how just a few cells in an organism are behaving, it is no simple task. The human body contains approximately 37 trillion cells; the fruit fly flitting around the overripe bananas on your counter might have 50,000 cells. Even Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny worm commonly used in biological research, can have as many as 3,000 cells. So, how do you monitor a couple of microscopic specks amid all of that? Scientists working in the Caltech lab of Mikhail G. Shapiro, professor of chemical engineering and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, have found a way. The new technique makes use of so-called acoustic reporter genes, of which Shapiro has been a pioneering developer. To understand acoustic reporter genes, first know that reporter genes are a specialized snippet of DNA that researchers can insert into an organism’s genome to help them understand what it is doing. Historically, reporter genes have encoded fluorescent proteins. For example, if a researcher inserts one of these reporter genes next to a gene they want to study—say, the gene that is responsible for the development of neurons—the activation of those neuron genes will also produce fluorescent protein molecules. When the right kind of light is shined upon those cells, they will light up, kind of like how a highlighter can mark a specific passage in a book. These fluorescent reporter genes have a big disadvantage though: light does not penetrate very far through living tissues. So, Shapiro has developed reporter genes that use sound instead of light. These genes, when inserted into a cell’s genome, cause it to produce microscopic hollow protein structures known as gas vesicles. These vesicles are normally found in certain species of bacteria that use them to stay afloat in water, but they also have the useful property of “ringing” when struck by ultrasound waves. The idea is that when a cell producing these vesicles is imaged with ultrasound, it will send out an acoustic signal announcing its presence, allowing researchers to see where it is and what it is doing. This technique has been used to show the activity of enzymes in cells in previous work by Shapiro’s lab. In their latest paper, the research team describes how it has increased the sensitivity of that technique so much that it can now image a single cell, located within body tissue, that is carrying an acoustic reporter gene. Single cells traveling through the liver of a mouse are highlighted by a new imaging technique developed in Mikhail Shapiro’s lab. Credit: Caltech/Daniel Sawyer, Shapiro Lab “In comparison to previous work on gas vesicles, this paper allows us to see much smaller quantities of these gas vesicles,” says Daniel Sawyer (PhD ’21), lead author and former bioengineering PhD student in Shapiro’s lab. “This is like going from a satellite that can see the lights of a small town to one that can see the light from a single lamppost.” Their improvements represent an increase of more than 1000-fold in sensitivity over the previous technique they had been using for imaging cells carrying the acoustic reporter genes. The difference lies in the ultrasound they use and how the gas vesicles respond to it. Whereas the previous imaging technique relied on the vesicles ringing like a bell that has been struck, the new technique uses stronger ultrasound that “pops” the vesicles like a balloon. “The vesicles produce a very strong signal in that moment,” Shapiro says. “Then the vesicles break and stop making a signal. We’re looking for the little blip.” That blip is so clear that it can easily be detected by the researchers, even amid all the background noise produced by ultrasound penetrating through tissue. Shapiro says recent work on engineered strains of injectable bacteria that attack cancer cells, or “tumor-homing” bacteria, creates a need for better ways to track these cells to see where in the body they land. The researchers showed that when the bacteria were also engineered to carry the gas-vesicle gene, it was possible to track individual bacterial cells as they entered and traveled through the liver after being injected into the bloodstream. Sawyer says this level of sensitivity is necessary if researchers want to use ultrasound for studying the composition of the gut microbiome, which, when disrupted, can influence conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and autism. “There are so many species of bacteria in your gut, and some are so rare that you need something sensitive enough to see just the few of them deep inside the body,” he says. Does popping the vesicles inside cells harm the cells? No, not really. “The short answer is no, and the long answer is no in most practical cases,” Sawyer says. “There are some cases where single bacterial cells that are very small and have a very large amount of these gas vesicles are harmed, but it doesn’t make much of a difference to the bacterial population if a few of them become less viable. And in mammalian cells, we saw no negative effect.” Shapiro and Sawyer are pursuing two paths for their research going forward. One path will build on what the researchers have already developed to create more advanced imaging techniques. That will involve engineering and testing new kinds of vesicles that have different properties, such as vesicles that pop more easily, or vesicles that are more robust, or smaller vesicles that can fit into places that larger vesicles cannot. The other path is finding practical applications for the technology they have developed, Sawyer says. “In the optical microscopy field, there was this co-evolution of optical probes and microscopy methods with techniques like two-photon microscopy and light-sheet microscopy [both are types of fluorescent microscopy],” Shapiro says. “Danny’s paper is part of the development of the ultrasound analog of those imaging techniques.” The paper describing their research, titled, “Ultrasensitive ultrasound imaging of gene expression with signal unmixing,” appears in the August 6 issue of the journal Nature Methods. Co-authors include Avinoam Bar Zion, the visitor in chemical engineering; Arash Farhadi (PhD ’20); bioengineering graduate student Shirin Shivaei; chemical engineering graduate student Bill Ling; and Audrey Lee-Gosselin, formerly of Caltech. Reference: “Ultrasensitive ultrasound imaging of gene expression with signal unmixing” by Daniel P. Sawyer, Avinoam Bar-Zion, Arash Farhadi, Shirin Shivaei, Bill Ling, Audrey Lee-Gosselin and Mikhail G. Shapiro, 5 August 2021, Nature Methods. DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01229-w Funding for the research was provided by the National Institutes of Health. Mikhail Shapiro is an affiliated faculty member of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience. RRG455KLJIEVEWWF |
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