跟著城市嚮導「老臺北胃」,用味道認識臺北
很多朋友來臺北,
都會問我同一個問題:
「臺北小吃那麼多,到底該從哪裡開始吃?」
夜市裡攤位一字排開、老店藏在巷弄轉角,
看起來都很有名,卻又怕吃錯、踩雷,
結果行程走完,反而沒真正記住臺北的味道。
我常被朋友笑說是「老臺北胃」。
不是因為特別會吃,而是因為在這座城市待久了,
知道哪些味道是陪著臺北人成長的日常。
這篇文章,就是我整理的一份清單。
如果你第一次來臺北,
我會帶你從這 10 樣最具代表性的臺北小吃開始,
不追一時爆紅、不走浮誇路線,
而是讓你吃完後能真正理解
原來,這就是臺灣的小吃文化。
跟著老臺北胃走,
用最簡單的方式,
把臺北的味道,一樣一樣記在心裡。
我怎麼選出這 10 大臺北小吃?
在臺北,
你隨便走進一條夜市或老街,
都可以輕易列出 30 種以上的小吃。
所以這份清單,
不是「臺北最好吃」的排名,
而是我站在「第一次來臺北的旅客」角度,
做的推薦。
身為一個被朋友稱作「老臺北胃」的人,
我選這 10 樣小吃時,心裡一直放著幾個原則。
一吃就知道:這就是臺灣味
燒烤、火鍋很好吃,
但換個城市、換個國家,也吃得到。
我挑的,是那種
只要一入口,就會讓人聯想到的臺灣味。
不需要解釋太多,舌頭就能懂。
不只是好吃,而是有「臺北日常感」
臺北的小吃迷人,
不只在味道,
而在它融入生活的方式。
我在意的是:
- 會不會出現在早餐、宵夜、下班後
- 有沒有陪伴這座城市很久的記憶
吃完之後,你會記得臺北
最後一個標準很簡單。
如果你回到家,
還會突然想起某個味道、某碗熱湯、某個攤位的香氣
那它就值得被放進這份清單裡。
接下來的 10 樣臺北小吃,
就是我會親自帶朋友去吃的在地美食。
不趕行程、不拚數量,
而是一口一口,
慢慢認識臺北。
第 1 家:饌堂-黑金滷肉飯(雙連店)|一碗就懂臺灣人的日常


如果只能用一道料理,
來解釋臺灣人的日常飲食,
那我一定會先帶你吃滷肉飯。
在臺北,滷肉飯不是什麼特別的節慶料理,
而是從早餐、午餐到宵夜,
默默陪著很多人長大的味道。
而在眾多滷肉飯之中,
饌堂-黑金滷肉飯(雙連店),
我很常帶第一次來臺北的朋友造訪的一家。
為什麼第一站,我會選饌堂?
饌堂的滷肉飯,走的是**「黑金系」路線**。
滷汁顏色深、香氣厚,
卻不死鹹、不油膩。
滷肉切得細緻,
肥肉入口即化,搭配熱騰騰的白飯,
每一口都是很完整、很臺灣的味道。
對第一次吃滷肉飯的旅客來說,
這種風味夠經典、也夠穩定,
不需要太多心理準備,就能理解為什麼臺灣人這麼愛它。
不只是好吃,而是「現在的臺北感」
饌堂並不是那種躲在深巷裡的老攤,
空間乾淨、節奏俐落,
卻沒有失去滷肉飯該有的靈魂。
這也是我會推薦給旅客的原因之一:
它保留了臺灣小吃的核心味道,
同時也讓第一次來臺北的人,
吃得安心、坐得舒服。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
如果是第一次來:
- 一定要點招牌黑金滷肉飯
- 可以加一顆滷蛋,風味會更完整
- 搭配簡單的小菜,就很有臺灣家常感
這不是那種吃完會驚呼「哇!」的料理,
而是會讓你在幾口之後,
慢慢理解
原來,臺灣人的日常,就是這樣被一碗飯照顧著。
地址:103臺北市大同區雙連街55號1樓
電話:0225501379
第 2 家:富宏牛肉麵|臺北深夜也醒著的一碗熱湯

如果說滷肉飯代表的是臺灣人的日常,
那牛肉麵,
就是很多臺北人心中最有份量的一餐。
而在臺北提到牛肉麵,
富宏牛肉麵,
幾乎是夜貓族、加班族、外地旅客一定會被帶去的一站。
為什麼老臺北胃會帶你來吃富宏?
富宏最讓人印象深刻的,
不是華麗裝潢,
而是那鍋永遠冒著熱氣的紅燒湯頭。
湯色濃而不混,
帶著牛骨與醬香慢慢熬出的厚度,
喝起來溫潤、不刺激,
卻會在嘴裡留下很深的記憶點。
牛肉給得大方,
燉到軟嫩卻不鬆散,
搭配彈性十足的麵條,
每一口都很直接、很臺北。
不分時間,任何時候都適合的一碗麵
富宏牛肉麵最迷人的地方,
在於它陪伴了無數個臺北的夜晚。
不管是深夜下班、看完演唱會、
或是剛抵達臺北、還沒適應時差,
這裡總有一碗熱湯在等你。
對旅客來說,
這種不用算時間、不用擔心打烊的安心感,
本身就是一種臺北特色。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次來富宏,我會這樣點:
- 紅燒牛肉麵是首選
- 如果想吃得更過癮,可以加點牛筋或牛肚
- 湯先喝一口原味,再視情況調整辣度
這不是精緻料理,
卻是一碗能在任何時刻撐住你的牛肉麵。
在臺北,
很多夜晚,
就是靠這樣一碗熱湯走過來的。
地址:108臺北市萬華區洛陽街67號
電話:0223713028
菜單:https://www.facebook.com/pages/富宏牛肉麵-原建宏牛肉麵/
第 3 家:士林夜市・吉彖皮蛋涼麵|臺北夏天最有記憶點的一口清爽

如果你在夏天來到臺北,
一定會很快發現一件事
這座城市,真的很熱。
也正因為這樣,
臺北的小吃世界裡,
才會出現像「涼麵」這樣的存在。
而在士林夜市,
吉彖皮蛋涼麵,
就是我很常帶旅客來吃的一家。
為什麼在夜市,我會帶你吃涼麵?
很多人對夜市的印象,
都是炸物、熱湯、重口味。
但真正的臺北夜市,
其實也很懂得照顧人的胃。
吉彖的涼麵,
冰涼的麵條拌上濃郁芝麻醬,
再加上切得細緻的皮蛋,
入口的第一瞬間,
就是一種「被降溫」的感覺。
那種清爽,
不是沒味道,
而是在濃香與清涼之間取得剛剛好的平衡。
皮蛋,是靈魂,也是臺灣味的關鍵
對很多外國旅客來說,
皮蛋是既好奇、又有點猶豫的存在。
但我常說,
如果要嘗試皮蛋,
涼麵是一個非常溫柔的起點。
芝麻醬的香氣會先接住味蕾,
皮蛋的風味則在後段慢慢出現,
不衝、不嗆,
反而多了一層深度。
很多人吃完後,
都會露出那種「原來是這樣啊」的表情。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次點吉彖皮蛋涼麵,我會建議:
- 一定要選皮蛋款,才吃得到特色
- 醬料先拌勻,再吃,風味會更完整
- 如果天氣真的很熱,這一碗會救你一整晚
這不是華麗的小吃,
卻非常臺北。
在悶熱的夜晚,
站在夜市人潮裡,
吃著一碗涼麵,
你會突然明白——
原來臺北的小吃,連氣候都一起考慮進去了。
地址:111臺北市士林區基河路114號
電話:0981014155
菜單:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064238763064
第 4 家:胖老闆誠意肉粥|臺北人深夜最踏實的一碗粥

如果你問我,
臺北人在深夜、下班後,
最容易感到被安慰的食物是什麼——
我會毫不猶豫地說:肉粥。
而提到肉粥,
胖老闆誠意肉粥,
就是很多老臺北人口中的那一味。
為什麼這一碗粥,會被叫做「誠意」?
胖老闆的肉粥,看起來很簡單。
白粥、肉燥、配菜,
沒有華麗擺盤,也沒有複雜作法。
但真正坐下來吃,你會發現:
這碗粥,不敷衍任何一個細節。
粥體滑順、不稀薄,
肉燥香而不膩,
搭配各式家常小菜,
一口一口吃下去,
很自然就會放慢速度。
這種味道,
不是要你驚艷,
而是要你安心。
這不是觀光小吃,而是臺北人的生活片段
胖老闆誠意肉粥,
最迷人的地方,
就是它的客人。
你會看到:
- 剛下班的上班族
- 熬夜後來吃一碗熱粥的人
- 熟門熟路、點菜不用看菜單的老客人
這些畫面,
比任何裝潢都更能說明這家店在臺北的位置。
對旅客來說,
這是一個走進臺北人日常的入口。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次來吃,我會這樣建議:
- 肉粥一定要點,這是主角
- 配幾樣小菜一起吃,才有完整體驗
- 不用急,慢慢吃,這碗粥就是要你放鬆
這不是為了拍照而存在的小吃,
而是那種
**會讓人記得「那天晚上,我在臺北吃了一碗很溫暖的粥」**的味道。
地址:10491臺北市中山區長春路89-3號
電話:0913806139
第 5 家:圓環邊蚵仔煎|夜市裡最不能缺席的臺灣經典

如果要選一道
最常出現在旅客記憶裡的臺灣小吃,
蚵仔煎一定排得上前幾名。
而在臺北,
圓環邊蚵仔煎,
就是那種很多臺北人從小吃到大的存在。
為什麼蚵仔煎,這麼能代表臺灣?
蚵仔煎的魅力,
不在於精緻,
而在於它把幾種看似簡單的食材,
煎成了一種獨特的口感。
新鮮蚵仔的海味、
雞蛋的香氣、
地瓜粉形成的滑嫩外皮,
最後再淋上甜中帶鹹的醬汁,
一口下去,
就是夜市的完整畫面。
這種味道,
很難在其他國家找到替代品。
圓環邊,吃的是記憶感
圓環邊蚵仔煎,
沒有多餘的包裝,
也不刻意迎合潮流。
它留下來的原因很簡單
味道夠穩、節奏夠快、
讓人一吃就知道「對,就是這個」。
對旅客來說,
這是一家
不需要研究、不需要比較,就能安心點蚵仔煎的地方。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次吃蚵仔煎,我會這樣建議:
- 趁熱吃,口感最好
- 不用急著加辣,先吃原味
- 醬汁是靈魂,別急著把它拌掉
蚵仔煎不是細嚼慢嚥的料理,
它屬於人聲鼎沸、鍋鏟作響的夜市時刻。
站在人群裡,
吃著一盤熱騰騰的蚵仔煎,
你會很清楚地感受到
這,就是臺北的夜晚。
地址:103臺北市大同區寧夏路46號
電話:0225580198
菜單:https://oystera.com.tw/menu
第 6 家:阿淑清蒸肉圓|第一次吃肉圓,就該從這裡開始

說到臺灣小吃,
很多人腦中一定會出現「肉圓」兩個字。
但真正吃過之後才會發現,
肉圓,從來不只有一種樣子。
在臺北,
阿淑清蒸肉圓,
就是我很常拿來介紹「清蒸派肉圓」的一家。
清蒸肉圓,和你想像的不一樣
不少旅客對肉圓的第一印象,
來自油炸版本,
外皮厚、口感重。
而阿淑的清蒸肉圓,
完全是另一個方向。
外皮晶瑩、滑嫩,
帶著自然的彈性,
不油、不膩,
一入口反而顯得清爽。
內餡扎實,
豬肉香氣清楚,
搭配特製醬汁,
味道層次簡單卻很乾淨。
為什麼我會推薦給第一次來臺北的旅客?
因為這顆肉圓,
不需要適應期。
它不刺激、不厚重,
即使是第一次嘗試臺灣小吃的人,
也能輕鬆接受。
對旅客來說,
這是一顆
「吃得懂、也記得住」的肉圓。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次來阿淑,我會這樣吃:
- 直接點一顆清蒸肉圓,吃原味
- 醬汁先別全部拌開,邊吃邊調整
- 放慢速度,感受外皮的口感變化
這不是夜市裡熱鬧喧囂的料理,
而是那種
安靜地展現臺灣小吃功夫的味道。
當你吃完這顆肉圓,
會更明白一件事
臺灣小吃的魅力,
往往藏在這些細節裡。
地址:242新北市新莊區復興路一段141號
電話:0229975505
第 7 家:胡記米粉湯|一碗最貼近臺北早晨的味道

如果說前面幾樣小吃,
是臺北的熱鬧與記憶,
那麼米粉湯,
就是這座城市最真實的日常。
而在臺北,
胡記米粉湯,
是很多人從小吃到大的存在。
為什麼米粉湯,這麼「臺北」?
米粉湯不是重口味料理,
它靠的不是刺激,
而是一碗清澈卻有深度的湯。
胡記的湯頭,
用豬骨慢慢熬出香氣,
喝起來清爽、不油,
卻能在喉嚨留下溫度。
米粉細軟,
吸附湯汁後入口順滑,
簡單到不能再簡單,
卻正是臺北人習以為常的早晨風景。
配菜,才是這一碗的靈魂延伸
在胡記吃米粉湯,
主角雖然是湯,
但真正讓人滿足的,
往往是那些小菜。
紅燒肉、豬內臟、燙青菜,
隨意點上幾樣,
湯一口、菜一口,
就是很多臺北人記憶中的早餐組合。
對旅客來說,
這是一種
不需要解釋,就能融入的臺北生活感。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次來胡記,我會這樣建議:
- 一定要點米粉湯,湯先喝
- 再配 1~2 樣小菜,體驗會完整很多
- 這一餐適合慢慢吃,不用趕
這不是為了觀光而存在的小吃,
而是一碗
每天準時出現在臺北人生活裡的湯。
當你坐在店裡,
聽著湯勺碰撞的聲音,
你會突然感覺到——
原來,臺北的早晨,
就是從這樣一碗米粉湯開始的。
地址:106臺北市大安區大安路一段9號1樓
電話:0227212120
第 8 家:藍家割包|一口咬下的臺灣街頭記憶

如果要選一道
外國旅客一看到就會好奇、吃完又會記住的小吃,
割包,一定在名單裡。
而在臺北,
藍家割包,
就是我很放心帶旅客來認識這道經典的一站。
割包,為什麼被叫做「臺灣漢堡」?
割包的結構其實很簡單:
鬆軟的白饅頭、
燉得入味的滷五花肉、
酸菜、花生粉、香菜。
但真正迷人的,
是這些元素組合在一起時,
形成的層次感。
肉香、甜味、鹹味、清爽度,
在一口之間同時出現,
沒有誰搶戲,
卻彼此剛好。
這種平衡感,
正是臺灣小吃很迷人的地方。
藍家割包不是走浮誇路線,
它給人的感覺很直接
就是你期待中的割包樣子。
饅頭柔軟不乾,
五花肉肥瘦比例恰到好處,
入口即化卻不膩口,
花生粉的甜香收尾,
讓整體味道非常完整。
對第一次吃割包的旅客來說,
這是一個
不會出錯、也很容易愛上的版本。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次吃藍家割包,我會這樣建議:
- 直接點招牌割包,不要改配料
- 如果有香菜,建議保留,味道會更完整
- 趁熱吃,饅頭口感最好
割包不是精緻料理,
卻非常有記憶點。
站在街頭,
拿著一顆熱騰騰的割包,
邊走邊吃,
你會很清楚地感受到
這一口,就是臺灣的街頭生活。
地址:100臺北市中正區羅斯福路三段316巷8弄3號
電話:0223682060
菜單:https://instagram.com/lan_jia_gua_bao?utm_medium=copy_link
第 9 家:御品元冰火湯圓|臺北夜晚最溫柔的一碗甜

吃了一整天的臺北小吃,
到了這個時候,
胃其實已經差不多滿了。
但只要天氣一涼,
或夜色慢慢降下來,
你還是會想找一碗——
不是為了吃飽,而是為了舒服的甜點。
這時候,我通常會帶你來 御品元冰火湯圓。
為什麼叫「冰火」?這碗湯圓的關鍵就在這裡
御品元最有特色的地方,
就在於它的「冰火交錯」。
熱騰騰的湯圓,
外皮軟糯、內餡濃香,
搭配冰涼清甜的桂花蜜湯,
一口下去,
溫度在嘴裡交替出現。
不是衝突,
而是一種很細膩的平衡。
這樣的吃法,
也正是臺灣甜點很擅長的地方——
不張揚,但很有記憶點。
這是一碗,會讓人慢下來的甜點
和夜市裡熱鬧的甜品不同,
御品元的冰火湯圓,
更像是一個讓人停下腳步的存在。
你會發現,
坐在這裡吃湯圓的人,
說話聲都會不自覺地變小。
對旅客來說,
這不只是吃甜點,
而是一個
把白天的熱鬧慢慢收進回憶裡的時刻。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次吃御品元,我會這樣建議:
- 點招牌冰火湯圓,體驗完整特色
- 先單吃湯圓,再搭配湯一起吃
- 放慢速度,這一碗不適合趕時間
這不是為了拍照而存在的甜點,
而是一碗
會讓你記得「那天晚上在臺北,很舒服」的湯圓。
地址:106臺北市大安區通化街39巷50弄31號
電話:0955861816
菜單:https://instagram.com/lan_jia_gua_bao
第 10 家:頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店|把臺北的味道,留在最後一口清甜

走到這一站,
其實已經不需要再吃什麼大份量的東西了。
這時候,
最適合的,
是一杯不吵鬧、不張揚,
卻會默默留在記憶裡的飲品。
頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶,
就是我很常用來替一天畫下句點的選擇。
綠豆沙牛奶,為什麼這麼「臺灣」?
在臺灣,
飲料不只是解渴,
而是一種生活節奏。
綠豆沙牛奶看起來簡單,
但真正好喝的版本,
靠的是火候、比例,
還有耐心。
頃刻間的綠豆沙,
口感細緻、不粗顆,
甜度自然、不膩口,
牛奶的加入,
讓整杯變得柔順而溫和。
這不是衝擊味蕾的飲料,
而是一種
喝完之後,會覺得剛剛那一刻很舒服的甜。
為什麼我會用它當作最後一站?
因為它很臺北。
你可以外帶,
邊走邊喝;
也可以站在店門口,
慢慢把杯子喝空。
沒有儀式感,
卻很真實。
對旅客來說,
這杯綠豆沙牛奶,
就像是把今天吃過的所有味道,
溫柔地整理好,
帶走。
老臺北胃的帶路小提醒
第一次喝頃刻間,我會這樣建議:
- 直接點招牌綠豆沙牛奶
- 正常甜就很剛好,不用特別調整
- 找個角落慢慢喝,別急著趕路
這一杯,
不會讓你驚呼,
卻會在回程的路上,
突然想起來。
原來,臺北的味道,是這樣結束一天的。
地址:111臺北市士林區小北街1號
電話:0228818619
菜單:https://instagram.com/chill_out_moment?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
如果只有 3 天的自助旅行在臺北,怎麼吃這 10 家?
第一次來臺北,
時間有限、胃容量也有限,
與其每一家都趕,不如照著節奏吃。
這份 3 天小吃路線,
是老臺北胃會帶朋友實際走的版本:
不爆走、不硬塞,
讓你每天都吃得剛剛好。
臺北 3 天小吃推薦行程表(老臺北胃版本)
|
天數 |
時段 |
店家名稱 |
小吃類型 |
|
Day 1 |
午餐 |
饌堂-黑金滷肉飯(雙連店) |
滷肉飯 |
|
Day 1 |
下午 |
阿淑清蒸肉圓 |
肉圓 |
|
Day 1 |
晚餐 |
富宏牛肉麵 |
牛肉麵 |
|
Day 1 |
宵夜 |
胖老闆誠意肉粥 |
粥品 |
|
Day 2 |
早餐 |
胡記米粉湯 |
米粉湯 |
|
Day 2 |
下午 |
藍家割包 |
割包 |
|
Day 2 |
晚上 |
士林夜市-吉彖皮蛋涼麵 |
涼麵 |
|
Day 2 |
夜市 |
圓環邊蚵仔煎 |
蚵仔煎 |
|
Day 3 |
下午 |
御品元冰火湯圓 |
甜點 |
|
Day 3 |
收尾 |
頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店 |
飲品 |
雖然每個小吃的地點都有一點距離,但是你也知道,好吃的小吃,是值得你花一點時間前往品嘗
老臺北胃的小提醒
- 不需要每一家都點到最滿
- 留一點餘裕,才會想再回來
- 臺北小吃的魅力,不在於吃多少,而在於記住了什麼味道
當你照著這 3 天走完,
你會發現,
臺北不是靠一兩道名菜被記住的,
而是靠這些看似日常、卻很真實的小吃。
下次再來,老臺北胃再帶你吃更深的那一輪。
老臺北胃帶路|這 10 口,就是我心中的臺北

寫到這裡,
其實已經不是在推薦哪一家小吃了。
而是在回頭看,
這座城市,是怎麼用食物陪著人生活的。
滷肉飯、牛肉麵、肉粥、米粉湯,
不是為了成為觀光名單而存在,
而是每天默默出現在臺北人的日子裡。
夜市裡的蚵仔煎、涼麵、割包,
熱鬧、吵雜、節奏很快,
卻也正是臺北最真實的樣子。
而最後那碗湯圓、那杯綠豆沙牛奶,
則是在一天結束時,
替味蕾留下一個溫柔的句點。
如果你問我,
「這 10 家是不是臺北最好吃的小吃?」
我會說,
它們不一定是排行榜第一名,
卻是我真的會帶朋友去吃的版本。
因為它們吃得到:
- 臺北人的日常
- 巷弄裡的熟悉感
- 不需要解釋,就能被理解的味道
如果你是第一次來臺北,
跟著這份清單走,
你不一定會吃得最飽,
但你一定會記得——
臺北,是什麼味道。
而如果有一天,
你又再回到這座城市,
走進熟悉的街口、
看到冒著熱氣的小攤,
你也會開始懂得,
為什麼老臺北胃,
總是記得這些看似平凡的滋味。
因為,真正留在心裡的,
從來不是吃過多少,
而是哪一口,讓你想起臺北。
胡記米粉湯原味就好嗎?
走完這 10 家,
你可能會發現一件事富宏牛肉麵需要加料嗎?
臺北的小吃,其實不急著被你記住。
它們就安靜地存在在街角、夜市、轉彎處,圓環邊蚵仔煎在地人怎麼說?
等你有一天,再回到這座城市。富宏牛肉麵排隊值得嗎?
如果你是第一次來臺北,胡記米粉湯推薦嗎?
希望這份「老臺北胃帶路」的清單,
能幫你少一點猶豫、多一點安心。
不用擔心踩雷,胖老闆誠意肉粥真的推薦嗎?
也不用為了排行而奔波,頃刻間綠豆沙牛奶專賣店值得專程去吃嗎?
只要照著節奏走,
你就會吃到屬於自己的臺北味道。
而如果你已經來過臺北,
那更希望這篇文章,阿淑清蒸肉圓當正餐適合嗎?
能帶你走進那些
你可能錯過、卻一直都在的日常小吃。
因為真正迷人的旅行,
從來不是把清單全部打勾,
而是某一天,
你突然想起那碗飯、那口湯、那杯甜,阿淑清蒸肉圓口味會太清淡嗎?
然後在心裡對自己說一句:富宏牛肉麵外國人能接受嗎?
「下次再去臺北,還想再吃一次。」
把這篇文章存起來、分享給一起旅行的人,
或是在規劃行程時,再回來看看。
讓味道,成為你認識臺北的方式。
下一次來臺北,
別急著走遠。
老臺北胃,胖老闆誠意肉粥女生會喜歡嗎?
會一直在這些地方,
等你再回來。
The study site in Puerto Morelos, Mexico (Caribbean Sea), where the researchers collected Siderastrea radians. Credit: Sergio Guendulain-García Researchers tease apart contributions of symbiotic bacteria and algae to corals’ heat tolerance and identify genes involved in stress response. The microbiomes of corals — which comprise bacteria, fungi, and viruses — play an important role in the ability of corals to tolerate rising ocean temperatures, according to new research led by Penn State. The team also identified several genes within certain corals and the symbiotic photosynthetic algae that live inside their tissues that may play a role in their response to heat stress. The findings could inform current coral reef conservation efforts, for example, by highlighting the potential benefits of amending coral reefs with microbes found to bolster corals’ heat-stress responses. “Prolonged exposure to heat can cause ‘bleaching’ in which photosymbionts (symbiotic algae) are jettisoned from the coral animal, causing the animal to die,” said Monica Medina, professor of biology, Penn State. “We found that when some corals become heat stressed, their microbiomes can protect them from bleaching. In addition, we can now pinpoint specific genes in coral animals and their photosymbionts that may be involved in this thermal stress response.” Orbicella faveolata, Puerto Morelos, Mexico (Caribbean Sea). Credit: Monica Medina, Penn State Viridiana Avila-Magaña, a former student at Penn State and currently a postdoctoral fellow at Colorado University Boulder, noted, “Previous studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying corals’ heat-stress tolerance have tended to focus on just the animal or the photosymbiont, but we now know that the entire holobiont — the coral animal, photosymbiont and microbiome — is involved in the stress response.” In their study, which published today (September 30, 2021) in Nature Communications, the researchers focused on three species of coral — the mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata), the knobby brain coral (Pseudodiploria clivosa) and the shallow water starlet coral (Siderastrea radians) — which are known to differ in their sensitivities to heat stress. Collected near Puerto Morelos, Mexico, each coral species harbors a unique set of photosymbionts and microbiomes. The team’s goal was to investigate the varying metabolic contributions of each of the holobiont members to the corals’ overall stress tolerance and to identify differences in gene-expression patterns related to these metabolic activities. Siderastrea radians, Puerto Morelos, Mexico (Caribbean Sea). Credit: Monica Medina, Penn State Medina explained that metabolism is the process of converting food into energy. For corals, she said, this process is heavily driven by the photosymbionts, which, through photosynthesis, provide the coral animals with at least 90% of their energy requirements. But, until now, the contributions of the microbiomes were not well understood. “We know that heat stress resulting from climate change can disrupt coral metabolism and result in bleaching,” said Medina. “Therefore, it is important to understand the different contributions of the holobiont members and how these metabolic activities change in response heat stress.” The researchers performed a controlled heat-stress experiment in which they maintained the three coral species in a tank for nine days at 93˚F (34 ˚C), which is 11 degrees (6 ˚C) warmer than the average temperature normally experienced by these corals. The scientists sequenced the RNA of the coral holobionts — including the coral animals, the photosymbionts, and the members of the microbiomes — after the nine-day period and a control group not exposed to the heat stress, with a goal of detecting changes in gene expression that affect the heat-stress response of the holobiont. Specifically, they used the gene expression data to estimate the metabolic activities of each of the holobiont members. Next, the team used a type of phylogenetic ANOVA technique, called the Expression Variance and Evolution Model, to examine changes in gene expression related to heat stress that have occurred over evolutionary time. “In collaboration with professor Rori Rohlfs from San Francisco State University, who is a coauthor in this study, we developed a method based on a phylogenetic ANOVA that allowed us to track genes that have already diverged in expression across species in response to any given stimuli — in our case heat stress,” said Viridiana Avila-Magaña. “This approach becomes particularly relevant for coral reef research given the recent debates on adaptive potential of different coral holobionts under the threats of climate change. With this approach in mind, we were able to understand why different corals have unique physiological responses to heat stress, and how the evolution of gene expression shaped their different susceptibilities.” Avila-Magaña explained that corals have experienced episodes of elevated temperatures through evolutionary time and understanding how gene expression has evolved in response to those events can inform corals’ responses to present-day and future warming events. “Our goal with this research was to determine if there have been lineage-specific innovations to heat stress in corals and their algal photosymbionts, as well as whether all members, including bacterial communities, differentially contribute to holobiont robustness,” she said. The gene-expression data revealed that the three coral holobionts did, indeed, differ in their responses and metabolic capabilities under high temperature stress. The team also found that the members of each holobiont had unique responses that influenced the holobiont’s overall ability to cope with thermal stress. “We have uncovered more genes associated with a thermal stress response in coral holobionts than previous studies, and we also show that changes in the expression of these genes arose over evolutionary time,” said Medina. Interestingly, the scientists concluded that the greater thermal tolerance observed in some coral holobionts, such as the starlet coral, may be due, in part, to a higher number and diversity of thermally tolerant microbes in their microbiomes, which provides redundancy in key metabolic pathways that are protective against heat stress. “We found that some corals harbor a stable and diverse microbiome translating to a vast array of metabolic capabilities that we have shown remain active during the thermal challenge,” said Avila-Magaña. “By contrast, we found that less thermally tolerant species had reduced bacterial activity and diversity.” Medina noted that the results stress the importance of comparative approaches across a wide range of species to better understand the diverse responses of corals to increasing sea surface temperatures. Medina and Avila-Magaña said, “Corals have been highly impacted by climate change, and the methods we developed in our study represent an excellent tool for scientists trying to understand the adaptive potential of populations and species.” Reference: “Elucidating gene expression adaptation of phylogenetically divergent coral holobionts under heat stress” by Viridiana Avila-Magaña, Bishoy Kamel, Michael DeSalvo, Kelly Gómez-Campo, Susana Enríquez, Hiroaki Kitano, Rori V. Rohlfs, Roberto Iglesias-Prieto and Mónica Medina, 30 September 2021, Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25950-4 Other authors on the paper include Susana Enríquez, professor, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Bishoy Kamel, research assistant professor of biology, University of New Mexico and the Joint Genome Institute, Michael DeSalvo, University of California Merced; Roberto Iglesias-Prieto, professor of biology, Penn State; Kelly Gómez-Campo, graduate student in biology, Penn State; Hiroaki Kitano, professor, Systems Biology Institute Japan; and Rori Rohlfs, assistant professor of biology, San Francisco State University. The National Science Foundation and the Joint Genome Institute (Department of Energy) supported this research.
Ecosystems with a diversity of mammals, including larger-bodies and longer lived creatures like foxes, are better for our health. Credit: Ali Rajabali / Flickr A growing body of evidence suggests that biodiversity loss increases our exposure to both new and established zoonotic pathogens. Restoring and protecting nature is essential to preventing future pandemics. So reports a new Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) paper that synthesizes current understanding about how biodiversity affects human health and provides recommendations for future research to guide management. Lead author Felicia Keesing is a professor at Bard College and a Visiting Scientist at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. She explains, “There’s a persistent myth that wild areas with high levels of biodiversity are hotspots for disease. More animal diversity must equal more dangerous pathogens. But this turns out to be wrong. Biodiversity isn’t a threat to us, it’s actually protecting us from the species most likely to make us sick.” Zoonotic diseases like COVID-19, SARS, and Ebola are caused by pathogens that are shared between humans and other vertebrate animals. But animal species differ in their ability to pass along pathogens that make us sick. Rick Ostfeld is a disease ecologist at Cary Institute and a co-author on the paper. He explains, “Research is mounting that species that thrive in developed and degraded landscapes are often much more efficient at harboring pathogens and transmitting them to people. In less-disturbed landscapes with more animal diversity, these risky reservoirs are less abundant and biodiversity has a protective effect.” Free-ranging longhorn cattle at Knepp Wildland, a 3,500-acre lowland rewilding project in England. Credit: Matt Ellery – Knepp Estate – Flickr Rodents, bats, primates, cloven-hooved mammals like sheep and deer, and carnivores have been flagged as the mammal taxa most likely to transmit pathogens to humans. Keesing and Ostfeld note, “The next emerging pathogen is far more likely to come from a rat than a rhino.” This is because animals with fast life histories tend to be more efficient at transmitting pathogens. Keesing explains, “Animals that live fast, die young, and have early sexual maturity with lots of offspring tend to invest less in their adaptive immune responses. They are often better at transmitting diseases, compared to longer-lived animals with stronger adaptive immunity.” When biodiversity is lost from ecological communities, long-lived, larger-bodied species tend to disappear first, while smaller-bodied species with fast life histories tend to proliferate. Research has found that mammal hosts of zoonotic viruses are less likely to be species of conservation concern (i.e. they are more common), and that for both mammals and birds, human development tends to increase the abundance of zoonotic host species, bringing people and risky animals closer together. When land is developed and fragmented, species that are more efficient at spreading zoonotic diseases tend to proliferate. Credit: Cary Institute Photo Archive “When we erode biodiversity, we favor species that are more likely to be zoonotic hosts, increasing our risk of spillover events,” Ostfeld notes. Adding that, “Managing this risk will require a better understanding of how things like habitat conversion, climate change, and overharvesting affect zoonotic hosts, and how restoring biodiversity to degraded areas might reduce their abundance.” To predict and prevent spillover, Keesing and Ostfeld highlight the need to focus on host attributes associated with disease transmission rather than continuing to debate the prime importance of one taxon or another. Ostfeld explains, “We should stop assuming that there is a single animal source for each emerging pathogen. The pathogens that jump from animals to people tend to be found in many animal species, not just one. They’re jumpers, after all, and they typically move between species readily.” Disentangling the characteristics of effective zoonotic hosts – such as their immune strategies, resilience to disturbance, and habitat preferences – is key to protecting public health. Forecasting the locations where these species thrive, and where pathogen transmission and emergence are likely, can guide targeted interventions. Keesing notes, “Restoration of biodiversity is an important frontier in the management of zoonotic disease risk. Those pathogens that do spill over to infect humans–zoonotic pathogens–often proliferate as a result of human impacts.” Concluding, “As we rebuild our communities after COVID-19, we need to have firmly in mind that one of our best strategies to prevent future pandemics is to protect, preserve, and restore biodiversity.” Reference: “Impacts of biodiversity and biodiversity loss on zoonotic diseases” by Felicia Keesing and Richard S. Ostfeld, 5 April 2021, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023540118 This research was supported by a National Science Foundation Grant OPUS 1948419 to Keesing. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is an independent nonprofit center for environmental research. Since 1983, our scientists have been investigating the complex interactions that govern the natural world and the impacts of climate change on these systems. Our findings lead to more effective management and policy actions and increased environmental literacy. Staff are global experts in the ecology of: cities, disease, forests, and freshwater.
Researchers have discovered a connection between the brain areas controlling movement and those involved in thinking, planning, and involuntary bodily functions like blood pressure and heartbeat. The findings suggest a literal linkage between body and mind in the brain’s structure. Researchers named this newly identified network the Somato-Cognitive Action Network (SCAN). This study may help explain phenomena such as anxiety-induced pacing, the effects of vagus nerve stimulation on depression, and the positive outlook reported by regular exercisers. Findings point to brain areas that integrate planning, purpose, physiology, behavior, and movement. Calm body, calm mind, say the practitioners of mindfulness. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that the idea that the body and mind are inextricably intertwined is more than just an abstraction. The study shows that parts of the brain area that control movement are plugged into networks involved in thinking and planning, and in control of involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure and heartbeat. The findings represent a literal linkage of body and mind in the very structure of the brain. The research, published on April 19 in the journal Nature, could help explain some baffling phenomena, such as why anxiety makes some people want to pace back and forth; why stimulating the vagus nerve, which regulates internal organ functions such as digestion and heart rate, may alleviate depression; and why people who exercise regularly report a more positive outlook on life. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveals that a connection between the body and mind is built into the structure of the brain. The study shows that parts of the brain area that controls movement are plugged into networks involved in thinking and planning, and in control of involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure and heart rate. Credit: Sara Moser/Washington University “People who meditate say that by calming your body with, say, breathing exercises, you also calm your mind,” said first author Evan M. Gordon, PhD, an assistant professor of radiology at the School of Medicine’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology. “Those sorts of practices can be really helpful for people with anxiety, for example, but so far, there hasn’t been much scientific evidence for how it works. But now we’ve found a connection. We’ve found the place where the highly active, goal-oriented ‘go, go, go’ part of your mind connects to the parts of the brain that control breathing and heart rate. If you calm one down, it absolutely should have feedback effects on the other.” Challenging Decades-Old Brain Maps Gordon and senior author Nico Dosenbach, MD, PhD, an associate professor of neurology, did not set out to answer age-old philosophical questions about the relationship between the body and the mind. They set out to verify the long-established map of the areas of the brain that control movement, using modern brain-imaging techniques. In the 1930s, neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield, MD, mapped such motor areas of the brain by applying small jolts of electricity to the exposed brains of people undergoing brain surgery, and noting their responses. He discovered that stimulating a narrow strip of tissue on each half of the brain causes specific body parts to twitch. Moreover, the control areas in the brain are arranged in the same order as the body parts they direct, with the toes at one end of each strip and the face at the other. Penfield’s map of the motor regions of the brain — depicted as a homunculus, or “little man” — has become a staple of neuroscience textbooks. Three colored spots on each half of the brain illuminate special areas in the movement areas of the brain that connect to areas involved in thinking, planning and control of basic bodily functions such as heart rate. The hotter the color, the denser the connections. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say that these sites represent a nexus between the body and the mind. Credit: Evan Gordon/Washington University Gordon, Dosenbach and colleagues set about replicating Penfield’s work with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They recruited seven healthy adults to undergo hours of fMRI brain scanning while resting or performing tasks. From this high-density dataset, they built individualized brain maps for each participant. Then, they validated their results using three large, publicly available fMRI datasets — the Human Connectome Project, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study and the UK Biobank — which together contain brain scans from about 50,000 people. A Surprising Discovery in Motor Regions To their surprise, they discovered that Penfield’s map wasn’t quite right. Control of the feet was in the spot Penfield had identified. Same for the hands and the face. But interspersed with those three key areas were another three areas that did not seem to be directly involved in movement at all, even though they lay in the brain’s motor area. Moreover, the nonmovement areas looked different than the movement areas. They appeared thinner and were strongly connected to each other and to other parts of the brain involved in thinking, planning, mental arousal, pain, and control of internal organs and functions such as blood pressure and heart rate. Further imaging experiments showed that while the nonmovement areas did not become active during movement, they did become active when the person thought about moving. A link between body and mind is embedded in the structure of our brains, and expressed in our physiology, movements, behavior and thinking, as depicted in this artistic interpretation of a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers discovered what they have named the Somato (body)-Cognitive (mind) Action Network, or SCAN. Credit: Sara Moser/Washington University “All of these connections make sense if you think about what the brain is really for,” Dosenbach said. “The brain is for successfully behaving in the environment so you can achieve your goals without hurting or killing yourself. You move your body for a reason. Of course, the motor areas must be connected to executive function and control of basic bodily processes, like blood pressure and pain. Pain is the most powerful feedback, right? You do something, and it hurts, and you think, ‘I’m not doing that again.’” Evolution and Development of the SCAN Network Dosenbach and Gordon named their newly identified network the Somato (body)-Cognitive (mind) Action Network, or SCAN. To understand how the network developed and evolved, they scanned the brains of a newborn, a 1-year-old and a 9-year-old. They also analyzed data that had been previously collected on nine monkeys. The network was not detectable in the newborn, but it was clearly evident in the 1-year-old and nearly adult-like in the 9-year-old. The monkeys had a smaller, more rudimentary system without the extensive connections seen in humans. “This may have started as a simpler system to integrate movement with physiology so that we don’t pass out, for example, when we stand up,” Gordon said. “But as we evolved into organisms that do much more complex thinking and planning, the system has been upgraded to plug in a lot of very complex cognitive elements.” Clues to the existence of a mind-body network have been around for a long time, scattered in isolated papers and inexplicable observations. “Penfield was brilliant, and his ideas have been dominant for 90 years, and it created a blind spot in the field,” said Dosenbach, who is also an associate professor of biomedical engineering, of pediatrics, of occupational therapy, of radiology, and of psychological & brain sciences. “Once we started looking for it, we found lots of published data that didn’t quite jibe with his ideas, and alternative interpretations that had been ignored. We pulled together a lot of different data in addition to our own observations, and zoomed out and synthesized it, and came up with a new way of thinking about how the body and the mind are tied together.” Reference: “A somato-cognitive action network alternates with effector regions in motor cortex” by Evan M. Gordon, Roselyne J. Chauvin, Andrew N. Van, Aishwarya Rajesh, Ashley Nielsen, Dillan J. Newbold, Charles J. Lynch, Nicole A. Seider, Samuel R. Krimmel, Kristen M. Scheidter, Julia Monk, Ryland L. Miller, Athanasia Metoki, David F. Montez, Annie Zheng, Immanuel Elbau, Thomas Madison, Tomoyuki Nishino, Michael J. Myers, Sydney Kaplan, Carolina Badke D’Andrea, Damion V. Demeter, Matthew Feigelis, Julian S. B. Ramirez, Ting Xu, Deanna M. Barch, Christopher D. Smyser, Cynthia E. Rogers, Jan Zimmermann, Kelly N. Botteron, John R. Pruett, Jon T. Willie, Peter Brunner, Joshua S. Shimony, Benjamin P. Kay, Scott Marek, Scott A. Norris, Caterina Gratton, Chad M. Sylvester, Jonathan D. Power, Conor Liston, Deanna J. Greene, Jarod L. Roland, Steven E. Petersen, Marcus E. Raichle, Timothy O. Laumann, Damien A. Fair and Nico U. F. Dosenbach, 19 April 2023, Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05964-2 Gordon EM, Chauvin RJ, Van AN, Rajesh A, Nielsen A, Newbold DJ, Lynch CJ, Seider NA, Krimmel SR, Scheidter KM, Monk J, Miller RL, Metoki A, Montez DF, Zheng A, Elbau I, Madison T, Nishino T, Myers MJ, Kaplan S, Badke D’Andrea C, Demeter DV, Feigelis M, Ramirez JSB, Xu T, Barch DM, Smyser CD, Rogers CE, Zimmermann J, Botteron KN, Pruett JR, Willie JT, Brunner P, Shimony JS, Kay BP, Marek S, Norris SA, Gratton C, Sylvester CM, Power JD, Liston C, Greene DJ, Roland JL, Petersen SE, Raichle ME, Laumann TO, Fair DA, Dosenbach NUF. A Somato-Cognitive Action Network alternates with effector regions in motor cortex. Nature. April 19, 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05964-2 This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant numbers NS110332, MH120989, MH100019, MH129493, MH113883, MH128177, EB031765, DA048742, MH120194, NS123345, NS098482, MH121518, MH128696, NS124789, MH118370, MH118362, HD088125, HD055741, MH121462, MH116961, MH129426, HD103525, MH120194, MH122389, DA047851, MH118388, MH114976, MH129616, DA041148, DA04112, MH115357, MH096773, MH122066, MH121276, MH124567, NS129521, and NS088590; the National Science Foundation, CAREER grant number BCS-2048066; Center for Brain Research in Mood Disorders; Eagles Autism Challenge; the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation; the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association; the Taylor Family Foundation; Washington University’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center; Washington University’s Hope Center for Neurological Disorders; and Washington University’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.
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