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.