Department mnbt
Micro Nano Bio Technologies
The MNBT department is dedicated to the development of innovative materials, technologies, and devices with the aim of addressing crucial societal challenges. Our research efforts combine both fundamental and applied approaches, with a focus on the fields of health, environment, and digital technology. We increasingly prioritize evaluating and minimizing the environmental impact of our research topics as well as our research practices.
head
Presentation
The Micro Nano Bio (MNBT) department, comprising approximately 100 members, including thirty-five faculty researchers and researchers, and around forty doctoral students, is dedicated to the development of innovative technologies. These efforts aim to address major societal challenges, particularly in the fields of health, environment, and digital technology. Our research approach encompasses the development, structuring, integration, and modeling of various types of nanomaterials and nano-objects, ranging from semiconductors to organic, living, and polymer materials. This process extends to the functional integration of these elements into innovative devices and complex systems. We are also committed to assessing and minimizing the environmental impact of our research subjects and practices, highlighting our growing concern for sustainability.
The scientific activities of the MNBT department rely on state-of-the-art technological resources grouped within three platforms at LAAS-CNRS: the micro and nanotechnology platform, the characterization platform, and the design platform.
Challenges, themes, and research objectives
Our research endeavors aim to address current societal challenges in health/biology, the environment, and the digital society. Each challenge is broken down into research themes guiding the department's activities and research objectives through a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach. Three research themes are identified:
- Technologies for Digital: synthesis and modeling of advanced materials nanoelectronics, quantum and spintronics, physical sensors, organic electronics, silicon MEMS, environmentally friendly processes
- Technologies for Health: Diagnosis and repair of living organisms, Environmental impact on health, Drugs/Pharmacology, Microfluidic and/or biomimetic devices, Predictive atomistic models for biology, MEMS Biomedical, Electromagnetic fields in complex environments, micro physiologic organs on chip
- Technologies for Environment : Environmental Monitoring (Water quality, Air quality), Toxicity of radiofrequency electromagnetic waves, Agriculture - animal welfare, Bio-sourced and/or biodegradable materials, Life cycle analysis at the observable scale
For each theme, research objectives are defined that cut across MNBT department teams.
AREAS OF
RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
We conduct research to address societal challenges in health, environment, and digital society. Each challenge is broken down into research themes that guide the department's research activities through a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach.
DISCIPLINARY FIELDS
COVERED IN OUR DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT TEAMS
The MNBT department is structured into 7 research teams.
elia
Researchers : Bastien Venzac - Christophe Vieu - Christophe Thibault - Etienne Dague - Laurent Malaquin
mh2f
The scientific context of the team focuses on the interaction and exploitation of electromagnetic fields with complex environments.
mpn
The MPN team has a transversal research activity ranging from the synthesis of new materials with unique properties, through their shaping at nanoscale and finally to the fabrication of innovative nanodevices. Research themes include dopant engineering for nanoelectronics, advanced materials …
mechabiofluidics
MECABIOFLUIDICS team addresses biophysics-related scientific questions thanks to microfluidic technologies. We focus on the interplay between permeability, mechanical properties, and biological activity of tissues and cells. Applications range from the role of mechanics in cancer to filtration, and cell sorting …
mems
The MEMS team develops strategies to enhance the performance, reliability, and integration of MEMS devices. New functionalities and transduction mechanisms based on nanomaterials, biomaterials, and polymer technologies are also explored for applications in instrumentation, the environment, and healthcare.
mica
Our team studies and develops microsystems dedicated to environmental analysis in liquid phase and gas phase, based on expertise in different transduction modes, on the shaping and integration of materials, and on the instrumental chain allowing the implementation of sensors.
m3
The M3 team develops original and predictive atomic-scale models to understand the properties of matter. The goal is to support experiments, guide and control technological processes, enhance material performance, and contribute to innovation.
Latest publications
THESIS / HDR
2025
2024
2023
Tiphaine Mateo, Thèse: Etude de l'impact des contraintes de croissance sur des micro-tumeurs
2022
Adelin Patoux, Thèse: Conception, fabrication et étude de métasurfaces optiques
2021
Baptiste Alric, Thèse: Impact des contraintes mécaniques sur la physiologie cellulaire
Marianne Elias, Thèse: Microfluidique pour manipuler et étudier des membranes biomimétiques
2020
Aymen Sendi, Thèse: Nez électronique communicant pour le contrôle de la qualité de l'air intérieur
Lucien Schwab, Thèse: Sonde opto-mécaniques pour la microscopie AFM rapide
Jeffrey Teillet-Deborde, Thèse: Intégration et optimisation de procédés de séparation d'ADN
Sergio Proa Coronado, Thèse: Automatisation des mesures AFM pour des applications en biologie
2019
Marion Valette, Thèse: Laboratoire sur puce pour la détection d'événements cellulaires rares
Richard Monflier, Thèse: Etude des défauts induits par recuit laser excimère dans le silicium
2018
2017
2016
DEPARTMENT NEWS
DEPARTMENT CALENDAR
26.10.26 - The LAAS-CNRS is organising three mini-symposia at the JMC 2026
