Craig Story

About:

My research interests have centered around immunology and molecular biology. In graduate school at Brandeis University, I cloned and studied the transporter protein, called FcRn, that carries IgG antibodies across the human placenta under Dr. Neil E. Simister.

Subsequent to my graduate work, new roles the antibody transporter have been discovered—it extends the serum half-life of albumin as well.

I also spend a good deal of my time doing pre-health advising, also known as "pre-med" advising. It's a great part of my job to be able to write up the fine accomplishments of our students for medical, dental, PA and other schools. It's never hard to find great things to say about our wonderful students.

In 2014 and 2015, I offered a course for Pastors to come and learn about Modern Science. This "Pastors, Science and Faith" course was funded by a grant from The BioLogos Foundation. It was so wonderful to be able to share the amazing world of modern science with pastors and discuss issues of science with them. Starting in 2017, I began giving public lectures as a "BioLogos Voice" helping share how biological science is compatible with the Christian faith. I also serve as a consultant for the AAAS/DoSER "Science for Seminaries" project, which aims to include more science in the general curriculum of diverse seminaries. 

My postdoctoral work was under Dr. Hidde L. Ploegh at MIT and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ploegh is currently at the Whitehead Institute back at MIT. I rejoined his research group for my Fall '06 Sabbatical. The lab continues to study aspects of immune function using a molecular and biochemical approach. During this sabbatical I worked closely with Dr. J. Christopher Love, helping to optimize a new system for analyzing the secretions of individual cells within a diverse population. Results of my work on the microengraving system with the Ploegh and Love labs were published in PNAS, Nature Protocols, and Journal of Immunological Methods.

In Fall 2011, I spent sabbatical time working in Chris Love's lab in the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. 

In Spring 2015, our department was proud to introduce some new equipment, including an Olympus laser scanning confocal microscope and two new IX-81 scopes, a Millipore Guava 5HT flow cytometer, and a Bio-Tek Cytation 3 Imaging Plate Reader. The cell culture room has doubled in size as well. These new facilities and equipment were funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Consortium (MLSC) to help prepare students for fields of medicine and biotechnology.

In Fall 2016, I was able to join the laboratory of Dr. Stephanie Dougan, and work closely there with Dr. Jessica Ingram on two projects. One was connected with a bacterial enzyme, sortase A, which can be used to accomplish various biochemical "tricks" useful for the study of immune function. The second project related to Jessica's work with nanobodies, which are special small antibodies derived from alpacas. My lab is continuing to work with both of these projects. It was a privilige to work with Dr. Ingram during my sabbatical, and, sadly she passed away suddenly and unexpectedly due to cancer in April, 2018. A lectureship in her honor has been established at Dana Farber. 

Selected Publications

Jeong, H.-J., Abhiraman, G. C., Story, C. M., Ingram, J. R., & Dougan, S. K. (2017). Generation of Ca2+-independent sortase A mutants with enhanced activity for protein and cell surface labeling. PLoS One, 12(12), e0189068. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189068

Story, C. M. (2009) The God of Christianity and the G.O.D. of Immunology: Chance, Complexity and God’s Action in Nature. Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 61, 221-232. This work originally presented at Venice Summer School on Science and Religion: God and the Laws of Nature, 27 May-1 June, 2008.

Ogunniyi, A. O., Story C. M., Papa, E., Guillen, E., and Love, J. C. (2009) Screening individual hybridomas by microengraving to discover monoclonal antibodies. Nature Protocols 4, 767-782.

Ronan J. L., Story, C. M., Papa, E., and Love, J. C. (2009) Optimization of microengraving method for the detection of antibodies secreted from individual primary splenocytes. J Immunol Methods 340, 164-169.

Story, C. M., Papa E., Hu, C. A., Ronan, J. L., Herlihy, K., Ploegh H. L., and Love, J. C. (2008) Profiling antibody responses by multiparametric analysis of primary B cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 105, 17902-17907.

Fiebeger, E., Story, C., Ploegh, H. L. and Tortorella, D. (2002) Visualization of the ER-to-cytosol dislocation reaction of a type I membrane protein. EMBO J. 21, 1041-1053.

Swann, S. A., Williams, M., Story, C. M., Bobbitt, K. R., Fleis, R., and Collins, K. L. (2001) HIV-1 Nef blocks transport of MHC class I molecules to the cell surface via a PI 3-kinase-dependent pathway. Virology 282, 267-277.

Story, C. M., Furman, M. H., and Ploegh, H. L. (1999) The cytosolic tail of class I MHC heavy chain is required for its dislocation by the human cytomegalovirus US2 and US11 gene products. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96, 8516-21.

Shamu, C. M., Story, C. M., Rapoport, T., and Ploegh, H. L. (1999) The pathway of US11-dependent degradation of MHC class I heavy chains involves a ubiquitin-conjugated intermediate. J Cell Biol 147:45-58.

Story, C. M., and Ploegh, H. L. (1999). MHC class I and II. in: "Guidebook to the extracellular matrix, anchor, and adhesion proteins." T. Kreis and R. Vale Eds. Oxford University Press.

Tortorella, D., Story, C. M., Huppa, J. B., Wiertz, E. J., Jones, T. R., and Ploegh, H. L. (1998). Dislocation of type I membrane proteins from the ER to the cytosol is sensitive to changes in redox potential. J Cell Biol 142, 365-76.

Simister, N. E., and Story, C. M. (1997). Human placental Fc receptors and the transmission of antibodies from mother to fetus. J Reprod Immunol 37, 1-23.

Simister, N. E., Israel, E. J., Ahouse, J. C., and Story, C. M. (1997). New functions of the MHC class I-related Fc receptor, FcRn. Biochem Soc Trans 25, 481-6.

Simister, N. E., Story, C. M., Chen, H. L., and Hunt, J. S. (1996). An IgG-transporting Fc receptor expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast of human placenta. Eur J Immunol 26, 1527-31.