Contact Information

Biography

Professor Stolz has a BS degree in biology from Fordham University and a PhD in microbial ecology and evolution from Boston University. He was an NRC Post doctoral fellow at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Department of Geology and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, and an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Plant Biology in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He joined the faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences at Duquesne University and has served as Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Education (2009-2024) and interim chair of the Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering (2025-2025). He celebrated his 35th year at Duquesne University in 2025.

Education

  • BS Biology, Fordham University
  • PhD Microbial Ecology and Evolution, Boston University

Research Interests or Expertise

  • Community structure of microbial mats and stromatolites
  • The microbial metabolism of metals and metalloids including arsenic, selenium, and nitrate
  • Water quality impacts from the development of unconventional shale gas extraction

 

School

About

  • 2024 Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 2020 Dewey Award, Clean Water Action (environmental stewardship)
Dr. Stolz has published 104 peer reviewed articles, 47 book chapters, and three books.

Book:
  • Stolz, J.F., Griffin, W.M., and Bain, D.J. (eds) 2022. Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK
  • Kanmanii, N. J., and J. F. Stolz. “Biogeochemistry of Arsenic.” In Encyclopedia of Cell Biology, Second Edition, Elsevier, 2023.

Selected Articles:
  • Jeganathar Kanmanii, N., and Stolz, J.F. 2025. Biogeochemistry of arsenic. eLS 4:1–8. DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0029572
  • Badertscher, L.M., Hill, M.J., Cantlay, T., Stolz, J.F., and Bain, D.J. 2023. Elevated sediment radionuclide concentrations downstream of facilities treating leachate from landfills accepting oil and gas waste. Ecological Indicators 154:110616. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110616
  • Stolz, J.F. 2024. Stromatolites. In Timmis (ed.), Microbial Literacy Project.
  • Wells, M., Kim, M., Akob, D.M., Basu, P., and Stolz, J.F. 2023. Impact of the dimethyl sulfoxide reductase superfamily on the evolution of biogeochemical cycles. Microbiology Spectrum. DOI
  • Stolz, J.F. 2023. Stromatolites: Linking the past to the future. Environmental Microbiology 25:158–160. DOI
  • Stolz, J.F., Griffin, W.M., and Bain, D.J. (eds) 2022. Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK.
  • Raichuk, L., Stolz, J.F., and Linkov, F. 2025. Transforming environmental education in Ukraine, developing a crisis-driven approach to interdisciplinary learning. Environment Systems and Decisions 45:28. DOI
  • Raichuk, L., J. F. Stolz, and F. Linkov. “Transforming Environmental Education in Ukraine, Developing a Crisis‑Driven Approach to Interdisciplinary Learning.” Environment Systems and Decisions 45, no. 3 (September 2025): 1–22. DOI
  • Wells, M. Jeganathar Kanmanii, J. Al Zadjali, A.M., Janecka, J.E., Basu, P., Oremland, R.S., and Stolz, J.F. 2020. Methane, arsenic, selenium and the origins of the DMSO reductase family. Scientific Reports 10:10946 doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67892-9
  • Glabonjat, R.A., Blum, S.J., Miller, L.G., Webb, S.M., Stolz, J.F., Francesconi, K.A., and Oremland, R.S. 2020. Arsenolipids in cultured Picocystis strain ML and their occurrence in biota and sediment from Mono Lake, California. Life 2020, 10, 93; doi:10.3390/life10060093
  • Mintmier, B., Nassif, S., Stolz, J.F., and Basu, B. 2020. Functional mononuclear molybdenum enzymes: challenges and triumphs in molecular cloning expression and isolation. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry 25:547-569.
  • Wells, M.B., and Stolz, J.F. 2020. Microbial selenium metabolism: a brief history, biogeochemistry, and ecophysiology. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 96:fiaa209 DOI
  • Wells, M.B., Basu, P., and Stolz, J.F. 2021 The physiology and evolution of selenium metabolism in bacteria and archaea. Metallomics 13:mfab024 DOI
  • Staicu, L.C., and Stolz, J.F. 2021. Editorial: microbes vs. metals: harvest and recycle. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 97(5):fiab056 DOI
  • Bain, D.J., Cantlay, T., Garman, B., and Stolz, J.F. 2021 Oil and gas wastewater as road treatment: radioactive material exposure implications at the residential lot and block scale. Environmental Research Communications. Doi:10.1088/2515-7620/ac35be
  • Kiang, N.Y., Swingley, W.D., Gautam, D., Broddrick, J.T., Repeta, D., Stolz, J.F., Blankenship, R.E., Wolf, B.M., Detweiler, A.M., Miller, K.A., Schladweiler, J., Lindeman, R., and Parenteau, M.N. 2022. Discovery of chlorophyll d: isolation and characterization of a far-red cyanobacterium from the original site of Manning & Strain (1943) at Moss Beach, California. Microoganisms. DOI
  • Suosaari, E.P., Reid, R.P., Mercadier, C., Vitek, B.E., Oehlert, A.M., Stolz, J.F., Giusfredi, P.E., and Eberli, G.P. 2022. The microbial carbonate factory of Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia. Scientific Reports doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16651-z.
  • Vitek, B.E., Suosaari, E.P., Stolz, J.F., Oehlert, A.M., and Reid, R.P. 2022. Initial accretion in Hamelin Pool stromatolites: the role of Entophysalis in precipitation of microbial micrite.Geoscience DOI
  • Stolz, J.F. 2022. Metal munching microbes. In Hurst, C.J. (ed) Microbial metabolism of metals and metalloids. Advances in Environmental Microbiology 10:3-20
  • Stolz, J.F. 2023. Stromatolites: Linking the past to the future. Environmental Microbiology 25:158-160 DOI
  • Wells, M., Kim, M., Akob, D.M., Basu, P., and Stolz, J.F. 2023. Impact of the dimethyl sulfoxide reductase superfamily on the evolution of biogeochemical cycles. Microbiology Spectrum DOI
  • McDermott, T.R., Stolz, J.F., and Oremland, R.S. 2020. Arsenic and the gastrointestinal tract microbiome. Environmental Microbiology Reports. 12:136-159. DOI
  • Cantlay,T., Eastham, J.L., Rutter, J., Bain, D.J., Dickson, B., Basu,P., and Stolz, J.F. 2020. Determining conventional and unconventional oil and gas well brines in natural samples: I Anion analysis with ion chromatography. Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 55:1-10, DOI
  • Cantlay,T., Bain, D.J., Curet, J., Jack, R.F., Dickson, B.C., Basu, P., and Stolz, J.F. 2020. Determining conventional and unconventional oil and gas well brines in natural samples: II Cation analysis with ICP-MS and ICP-OES. Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 55:11-23, DOI
  • Cantlay, T., Bain, D.J., and Stolz, J.F. 2020. Determining conventional and unconventional oil and gas well brines in natural samples: III Assessment of mass ratio analyses. Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 55:24-32, DOI
  • Mintmier, B., Nassif, S., Stolz, J.F., and Basu, P. 2020. Functional mononuclear molybdenum enzymes: challenges and triumphs in molecular cloning, expression, and isolation. J Biol Inorg Chem. DOI
  • Stolz, J.F., and Basu, P. 2020. Arsenate respiratory reductase. Encyclopedia of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry. Wiley-Blackwell, eibc2744
  • Wells, M., McGarry, J., Gaye, M.M., Basu,P., Oremland,R.S., and Stolz, J.F. The respiratory selenite reductase from Bacillus selenitireducens strain MLS10. 2019. J Bacteriol. 13;201(7). pii: e00614-18. doi: 10.1128/JB.00614-18
  • Mason, D.M., Wang, Y., Bhatia, T.N., Miner, K.M., Trbojevic, S.A., Stolz, J.F., Luk, L.C., and Leak, R.K. 2019. The center of olfactory bulb-seeded a-synucleinopathy is the limbic system and the ensuing pathology is higher in male than in female mice. Brain Pathol. 2019. 29:741-770. DOI
  • Stolz, J.F. and Basu, P. 2018 Unraveling the inner workings of respiratory arsenate reductase. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 115:9051-9053.
  • Suosaari, E.P., Awramik, S.M., Reid, R.P., Stolz, J.F., and Grey, K. 2018. Living dendrolitic microbial mats in Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia. Geosciences 8:212-228. DOI (Journal Cover)
  • Oremland, R.S., Saltikov, C., Stolz, J.F., and Hollibaugh, J.T. 2017. Autotrophic microbial aresenotrophy in arsenic-rich soda lakes. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 15:364-374. (Received Outstanding Review Recognition by FEMS)
  • Hoeft McCann, S., Conrad, A., Hernandez-Maldonado, J., Stoneburner, B., Saltikov, C., Stolz, J.F., and Oremland, R.S., 2017. Arsenite as an electron donor for anoxygenic photosynthesis: Description of three strains of Ectothiorhodospira from Mono Lake, California and Big Soda Lake, Nevada. Life 7(1) 1/ doi 10.3390/life7010001
  • Stolz, J.F. 2017. Gaia and her microbiome. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 10.1093/femsec/fiw247
  • Switzer Blum, J., Hoeft McCann, S., Bennett, S., Miller, L.J., Stolz, J.F., Stoneburner, B., Saltikov, C. & Oremland R.S. 2016: A microbial arsenic cycle in sediments of an acidic mine impoundment: Herman Pit, Clear Lake, California., Geomicrobiology Journal, DOI:10.1080/01490451.2015.1080323
  • Suosaari, E.P., Reid, R.P., Playford, P.E., Foster,J.S., Stolz, J.F., Casaburi, G., Hagan, P.D., Chirayath, V., Macintyre, I.G., Planavsky, N.J., and Eberli, G.P. 2016. New multi-scale perspectives on the stromatolites of Shark Bay, Western Sci. Rep. | 6:20557 | DOI: 10.1038/srep20557.
  • Mason, D.M., Nouraei, N., Pant, D.B., Miner K.M., Hutchison, D.F., Luk, K.C., Stolz, J.F., and Leak, R.K. 2016. Transmission of a-synucleinopathy from olfactory structures deep into the temporal lobe. Mole. Neurodegen. 11:49 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0113-4.
  • Lampe, D.J., and Stolz, J.F. 2015. Environmental impacts of unconventional shale gas extraction in the Appalachian Basin. Environ Sci and Health, Part A 50:434-446.
  • Alawattegama, S., Kondratyuk, T., Krynock, R., Bricker, M., Bain, D., and Stolz, J.F. 2015. Well water contamination in a rural community in Southwestern PA with unconventional shale gas extraction. Environ Sci and Health, Part A 50:516-528.
  • Dheer, R., Patterson, J., Dudash, M., Nmezi, B., Stolz, D.B., Stachler, E., Bibby, K., Barchowsky, A., and Stolz, J.F. 2015. Arsenite induced changes in the microbiota of the murine colon. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2893:397-408. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2015.10.020.

 

  • Heinz Endowments. Water Contamination from Hydraulic Fracturing Communicating with Abandoned Gas Wells. 12/1/23-12/1/25, $160,000