Dr. Jonathan B. Clayton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Nebraska Omaha and holds cross-appointments at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Department of Food Science and Technology) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (Department of Pathology and Microbiology). He holds a D.V.M. and Ph.D. in Comparative and Molecular Biosciences from the University of Minnesota. His work focuses on host-microbiome interactions in humans and nonhuman primates, particularly exploring how dietary fiber, lifestyle, and environmental factors influence gut microbiome composition and metabolic health. He founded the Primate Microbiome Project (PMP) to map microbiome variation across all primates, linking it to health, evolution, and conservation. Research Interests include microbiome modulations of metabolic diseases (diabetes, obesity) and neurological disorders (stress), using in vitro/in vivo models like germ-free mice and marmosets. His methodologies involve next-generation sequencing, anaerobic culture, and marmoset models. Clayton is affiliated with the Callitrichid Research Center and GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Center, emphasizing translational research and conservation applications. Teaching focuses on Microbiology and Microbial Ecology. His lab (Clayton Lab) investigates causal mechanisms of microbiome-related diseases and has published extensively on gut microbiome dynamics in captive and wild primates. Recent work highlights antibiotic impacts on gut-brain axis interactions and conservation implications of microbiome diversity.








