Abstract: A novel method of diluting the structures in the cell population, such that individual cells, dependent on the activity of the structures, become single measurement devices. This can be applied to all Bacterial Microcomparments (“BMCs”), organelles, and macromolecules, and could provide a universal method for the design of novel ones and understanding of the diverse structures. In one aspect the present invention provides A method of creating a bacterial strain with inducible and detectable carboxysomes. The method includes the steps of incorporating a labeled carbon-fixation enzyme into the genome of a bacterium; deleting all or a portion of the ccm operon from the bacterium; and reintroducing a ccm operon comprising an inducible promoter to create a ?ccm+ strain.