Jonathan Eisen

Jonathan Eisen is Distinguished Professor in Evolution and Ecology at UC Davis, with joint appointment at the Genome Center. His research deciphers microbial diversity through phylogenomics and metagenomics, focusing on host-microbe symbioses, evolutionary origins of novelty, and environmental microbiomes.

Research Programs: 1) The seagrass mycobiome project characterizing fungal associations in marine angiosperms; 2) Kitty Microbiome Project defining baseline microbial communities in domestic cats; 3) Antarctic hydrothermal refuge microbiomes; 4) Urban environmental microbiomes and antimicrobial resistance.

Methodological Leadership: Pioneered standardized genome sequences (MISAG/MIMAG protocols) and open tools for metagenome analysis. Advocates for open science through the American Gut Project and microBIOME database.

Education & Service: Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. Editorial board member for multiple journals including PLoS Biology. Regular contributor to public science communication through blogs and podcasts.