THE TICK MICROBIOME: DIVERSITY, DISTRIBUTION AND INFLUENCE OF THE INTERNAL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY FOR A BLOOD-FEEDING DISEASE VECTOR Keith Clay, Ph.D. and Clay Fuqua, Ph.D. Draft background paper written to stimulate discussion for the Institute of Medicine Committee on Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Diseases: The State of the Science workshop entitled: "Critical Needs and Gaps in Understanding Prevention, Amelioration, and Resolution of Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases: The Short-Term and Long-Term Outcomes" Washington, D. C., October 11-12, 2010 The responsibility for the content of this article rests with the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the views of the Institute of Medicine or its committees and convening bodies.