Semi-synthetic quorum sensors

Abstract

Described is a device comprising a substrate, and a quorum sensor array on the substrate. The quorum sensor array comprises quorum sensors that release signal molecules in response to one or more environmental signals being sense by the quorum sensors to thereby amplify the one or more environmental signals by causing a signal chain reaction in neighboring quorum sensors of the quorum sensor array. Each of the quorum sensors comprises a lipid multilayer structure. Also described is a method comprising providing data for changes in optical properties of at least part of the quorum sensor array in response to exposing the quorum sensor array to one or more environmental signals, and determining the presence of the one or more environmental signals based on the data.

1 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising the following steps:
 (a) calibrating a camera based on a calibration profile,   (b) detecting with the calibrated camera one or more light intensities of light scattered by one or more iridescent microstructures of a sample, and   (c) determining a height of each of one or more iridescent microstructures of the sample based on the one or more light intensities detected in step (b),   wherein the calibration profile is based on the one or more light intensities detected by the camera for light scattered by one or more patterned arrays of standard iridescent microstructures of a calibration standard, and   wherein each of the patterned arrays of standard iridescent microstructures comprises iridescent microstructures having the same shape and two or more different heights.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more iridescent microstructures of the sample and/or patterned array of standard iridescent microstructures of the calibration standard comprise iridescent nanostructures. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the method comprises the following step:
 (d) detecting with the camera the intensity of light scattered by at least one of the one or more patterned arrays of the standard iridescent microstructures of the calibration standard.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more patterned arrays of standard iridescent microstructures comprise a patterned array of dots having two or more different heights and/or a patterned array of lines having two or more different heights and/or a patterned array of squares having two or more different heights. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more iridescent microstructures comprise biomolecules. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the biomolecules comprise one or more phospholipids. 
     
     
         28 . A method comprising the following steps:
 (a) detecting with a camera one or more light intensities of light scattered by one or more iridescent microstructures of a sample, and   (b) determining a height of each of the one or more iridescent microstructures of the sample based on one or more light intensities detected in step (a) and a calibration profile for the camera,   wherein the calibration profile is based on light intensities detected by the camera for light scattered one or more patterned arrays of standard iridescent microstructures of a calibration standard, and   wherein each of the patterned arrays of iridescent microstructures comprises iridescent microstructures having the same shape and two or more different heights.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more iridescent microstructures of the sample and/or patterned array of standard iridescent microstructures of the calibration standard comprise iridescent nanostructures. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the method comprises the following step:
 (c) detecting with the camera intensity of light scattered by at least one of the one or more standard iridescent microstructures of the calibration standard.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more patterned arrays of standard iridescent microstructures comprise a patterned array of dots having two or more different heights and/or a patterned array of lines having two or more different heights and/or a patterned array of squares having two or more different heights. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more iridescent microstructures comprise biomolecules. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the biomolecules comprise one or more phospholipids.