Vesicle photonics in biology with a focus on single cell analysis

Vesicles comprise of a thin membrane that encapsulates a liquid- or gas-filled reservoir [1, 2]. They are formed via the self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules or proteins under appropriate pressure, temperature and concentration conditions (Fig. 1a). By controlling such conditions, vesicles may be engineered in a variety of sizes, from a few 10's of nm up to 100's μm in diameter.