1-13. (canceled)
14. A method of accessing microbial biodiversity wherein the method comprises:
a) obtaining a sample from a human, wherein the sample comprises at least one novel (uncultivated in the laboratory) microorganism,
b) contacting the sample with an effective amount of an agent or combination of agents that at least one of which interferes with, disrupts, removes, or dis-enables one or more quorum sensing signals in the sample,
c) growing the so contacted sample in a culture medium containing the quorum sensing signal disrupting agent or agents, and,
d) analyzing the colonies of microorganisms grown to demonstrate genetic novelty minimally at the species or subspecies level.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the agent inhibits Type 1 quorum sensing.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the agent is an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction with the acyl homoserine lactone autoinducer.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the agent is selected from the group consisting of esterase, aminoacylase, carboxypeptidase, lipase, lactonase, peptidase and protease.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1.-64. (canceled)
65. A method for thermal-based laser processing a multi-material device including a substrate and a microstructure, the method comprising:
generating the at least one laser pulse having at least one predetermined characteristic based on a differential thermal property of materials of the device; and
irradiating the microstructure with the at least one laser pulse wherein a first portion of the at least one pulse increases a difference in temperature between the substrate and the microstructure and wherein a second portion of the at least one pulse further increases the difference in temperature between the substrate and the microstructure to process the multi-material device without damaging the substrate.
66. The method as claimed in claim 65 wherein the first and second portions are portions of a single pulse.
67. The method as claimed in claim 65 wherein the first and second portions are portions of different pulses.
68. The method as claimed in claim 65 wherein the first portion of the at least one pulse increases temperature of the microstructure.
69. The method as claimed in claim 65 wherein the first portion is a high density leading edge portion of the at least one pulse.
70. The method as claimed in claim 69 wherein the leading edge portion has a rise time of less than two nanoseconds.
71. The method as claimed in claim 70 wherein the rise time is less than one nanosecond.
72. The method as claimed in claim 65 wherein the first and second portions of the at least one pulse are sufficient to remove the microstructure.
73. The method as claimed in claim 69 wherein the microstructure is a metal link having reflectivity and wherein the leading edge portion of the at least one pulse reduces the reflectivity of the metal link.
74. The method as claimed in claim 73 wherein the substrate is silicon and the device is a semiconductor memory.
75. The method as claimed in claim 68 wherein the second portion of the at least one pulse further increases the temperature of the microstructure.
76. The method as claimed in claim 65 wherein the step of irradiating is completed in a period between 5 and 75 nanoseconds.
77. The method as claimed in claim 76 wherein the period is between 10 and 50 nanoseconds.
78. A system for thermal-based laser processing a multi-material device including a substrate and a microstructure, the system comprising:
means for generating the at least one laser pulse having at least one predetermined characteristic based on a differential thermal property of materials of the device; and
means for irradiating the microstructure with the at least one laser pulse wherein a first portion of the at least one pulse increases a difference in temperature between the substrate and the microstructure and wherein a second portion of the at least one pulse further increases the difference in temperature between the substrate and the microstructure to process the multi-material device without damaging the substrate.
79. The system as claimed in claim 78 wherein the first and second portions are portions of a single pulse.
80. The system as claimed in claim 78 wherein the first and second portions are portions of different pulses.
81. The system as claimed in claim 78 wherein the first portion of the at least one pulse increases temperature of the microstructure.
82. The system as claimed in claim 78 wherein the first portion is a high density leading edge portion of the at least one pulse.
83. The system as claimed in claim 82 wherein the leading edge portion has a rise time of less than two nanoseconds.
84. The system as claimed in claim 83 wherein the rise time is less than one nanosecond.
85. The system as claimed in claim 78 wherein the first and second portions of the at least one pulse are sufficient to remove the microstructure.
86. The system as claimed in claim 82 wherein the microstructure is a metal link having reflectivity and wherein the leading edge portion of the at least one pulse reduces the reflectivity of the metal link.
87. The system as claimed in claim 86 wherein the substrate is silicon and the device is a semiconductor memory.
88. The system as claimed in claim 81 wherein the second portion of the at least one pulse further increases the temperature of the microstructure.
89. The system as claimed in claim 78 wherein the irradiation is completed in a period between 5 and 75 nanoseconds.
90. The system as claimed in claim 89 wherein the period is between 10 and 50 nanoseconds.