IGF::OT::IGF TASK ORDER FOR A MICROBE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR: EXPLOITING ALTERATIONS IN PATHOGEN PIGMENTATION TO CHARACTERIZE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND CELLULAR RESPONSES TO SPACEFLIGHT. MICROGRAVITY REPRESENTS AN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT THAT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCERN BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES THAT HAVE YET TO BE OBSERVED ON EARTH. ONE UNIQUE BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO TERRESTRIAL-INDUCED, ANALOG MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT IS THAT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS RESPONDS DRAMATICALLY BY LOSING PIGMENTATION AND PATHOGENICITY. TO BETTER CONSTRAIN AND UNDERSTAND THIS RESPONSES, TRANSITIONING THIS INITIAL RESEARCH TO A SPACEFLIGHT MICROGRAVITY IS REQUIRED AS DOCUMENTED EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ANALOG SYSTEMS MUST BE RULED OUT TO HELP MOVE THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FINDING CLOSER TO HELPING MANKIND COMBAT THE PATHOGENIC EFFECTS OF THIS COMMON OPPORTUNISTIC SKIN MICROBE. THIS EXPERIMENT IS EXPERTLY DESIGNED TO DIRECTLY INVESTIGATE THE MICROGRAVITY RESPONSE OF S. AUREUS.