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Welcome to the COGNET Lab website
Optics, nanoscience and molecular diffusion physics in living matter
The COGNET lab works at the crossing of optics, nanoscience and molecular diffusion physics in living matter. Our core expertise, built over more than two decades, covers two closely linked areas: the photophysics and optical detection of single carbon nanotubes, and the development of methods to track single molecules or innovative nanoparticles by super-resolution and multidimensional single-particle tracking (SPT) microscopy, with applications in biology. This includes a capability few labs have: performing super-resolution and SPT in the short-wave infrared (SWIR), where light penetrates deep into scattering tissue that visible-light methods cannot reach.
This expertise supports a question we have long worked on: how molecules diffuse and are transported in complex, crowded media, and how this can depart from simple, textbook diffusion, a behaviour known as anomalous diffusion. We study this both in controlled model systems and directly in biological tissue, combining single-molecule trajectories with physical models to interpret what they reveal about the surrounding medium.
This approach was first developed and matured in neuroscience (mapping synaptic receptors and the brain's extracellular space) and is now being extended to plant biology, where the same questions of molecular transport arise at the scale of a leaf or a cell wall.
We are part of the Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences (LP2N - CNRS, Institut d'Optique Graduate School, University of Bordeaux). Our work is organised around five connected lines, from carbon nanotube optics and high-resolution microscopy methods to molecular diffusion physics and their application, from neuroscience to plant biology (see research page).
This expertise supports a question we have long worked on: how molecules diffuse and are transported in complex, crowded media, and how this can depart from simple, textbook diffusion, a behaviour known as anomalous diffusion. We study this both in controlled model systems and directly in biological tissue, combining single-molecule trajectories with physical models to interpret what they reveal about the surrounding medium.
This approach was first developed and matured in neuroscience (mapping synaptic receptors and the brain's extracellular space) and is now being extended to plant biology, where the same questions of molecular transport arise at the scale of a leaf or a cell wall.
We are part of the Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences (LP2N - CNRS, Institut d'Optique Graduate School, University of Bordeaux). Our work is organised around five connected lines, from carbon nanotube optics and high-resolution microscopy methods to molecular diffusion physics and their application, from neuroscience to plant biology (see research page).
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Contact: Laurent COGNET, Principal Investigator LP2N - Institut d’Optique Graduate School CNRS, University of Bordeaux 1 rue François Mitterrand, 33400 Talence, France laurent.cognet at u-bordeaux.fr |
Link to the ENSEMBLE ERC SYNERGY project (2020-2027) |
Latest news
Sept 1, 2026:
We are very glad to host David Jimenez from Emilio Perez's lab (IMDEA Madrid) for a 3 months collaborative work in our group as part of his PhD project. Looking forward exciting new science combining MINTs and our approaches!
We are very glad to host David Jimenez from Emilio Perez's lab (IMDEA Madrid) for a 3 months collaborative work in our group as part of his PhD project. Looking forward exciting new science combining MINTs and our approaches!
March 12, 2026:
Congrats to Hanna for the exciting work just accepted in ACS Photonics "Back-illumination Phase Imaging Enables Nanoscale Drift Stabilization in Non-transparent Biological Tissues". Another great result in collaboration with L. Groc's lab!
Congrats to Hanna for the exciting work just accepted in ACS Photonics "Back-illumination Phase Imaging Enables Nanoscale Drift Stabilization in Non-transparent Biological Tissues". Another great result in collaboration with L. Groc's lab!
Jan 16, 2026:
Welcome to Sanjana joining us as a postdoc
Welcome to Sanjana joining us as a postdoc
Jan 5, 2026:
Welcome to Guillaume joining us as a postdoc for an exciting collaborative work with the lab of Sylvain Delzon!
Welcome to Guillaume joining us as a postdoc for an exciting collaborative work with the lab of Sylvain Delzon!
November 4, 2025:
Congrats to Quentin for successfully defending his PhD entitled "Diffusion properties of carbon nanotubes in tortuous and biological environments"! Well done!!
Congrats to Quentin for successfully defending his PhD entitled "Diffusion properties of carbon nanotubes in tortuous and biological environments"! Well done!!
September 4, 2025:
Our latest paper 'Self-Assembled siRNA-Gold Supraclusters Detected at the Single-Molecule Level in the NIR-II Window" has just been published in Small Structures. Big thank to the Le Guevel Lab for this great collaboration!
Our latest paper 'Self-Assembled siRNA-Gold Supraclusters Detected at the Single-Molecule Level in the NIR-II Window" has just been published in Small Structures. Big thank to the Le Guevel Lab for this great collaboration!
August 10, 2025:
I'm delighted to share that our collaborative research, titled 'Hetero-Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes Termini with Single-Molecule Control,' conducted in partnership with Matteo Palma's lab at QMUL, has been published in Small. This work highlights exceptional teamwork, particularly from Weiyin and Benjamin. Well done, everyone!
I'm delighted to share that our collaborative research, titled 'Hetero-Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes Termini with Single-Molecule Control,' conducted in partnership with Matteo Palma's lab at QMUL, has been published in Small. This work highlights exceptional teamwork, particularly from Weiyin and Benjamin. Well done, everyone!
May 1st, 2025:
We are delighted to welcome Nathan to our lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow, supported by a prestigious EMBO fellowship and to work on a collaborative project related to single particle imaging in plants with Emmanuelle Bayer's lab.
We are delighted to welcome Nathan to our lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow, supported by a prestigious EMBO fellowship and to work on a collaborative project related to single particle imaging in plants with Emmanuelle Bayer's lab.
Dec 30, 2024:
Proud of this excellent collaborative work in the article just published with Erwan Bezard's group in NPJ Parkinson's disease. : "Intracellular α-synuclein assemblies are sufficient to alter nanoscale diffusion in the striatal extracellular space". Another success of carbon nanotube tracking and super-resolution microscopy!
Proud of this excellent collaborative work in the article just published with Erwan Bezard's group in NPJ Parkinson's disease. : "Intracellular α-synuclein assemblies are sufficient to alter nanoscale diffusion in the striatal extracellular space". Another success of carbon nanotube tracking and super-resolution microscopy!
October 23rd, 2024:
Congratulations Benjamin for this beautiful work available today in ACS nano "Morphology Determination of Luminescent Carbon Nanotubes by Analytical Super-Resolution Microscopy Approaches".
Congratulations Benjamin for this beautiful work available today in ACS nano "Morphology Determination of Luminescent Carbon Nanotubes by Analytical Super-Resolution Microscopy Approaches".
October 1st, 2024:
Welcome to Sourath joining us as a PhD student!
Welcome to Sourath joining us as a PhD student!
March 29, 2024:
Congratulations to Apolline for having brilliantly defended her PhD!
Congratulations to Apolline for having brilliantly defended her PhD!
November 1st, 2023:
Welcome to Nasim joining us as a PhD student!
Welcome to Nasim joining us as a PhD student!
Octobre 1st, 2023:
We are happy to welcome two new group members: Rohit Mangalwedhekar as a PhD student and Blanca Martin as an Engineer
We are happy to welcome two new group members: Rohit Mangalwedhekar as a PhD student and Blanca Martin as an Engineer
June 29, 2023:
Congratulations to Quentin for his article in Optics Communication! "A binary annular phase mask to regulate spherical aberration and allow super-localization in single-particle tracking over extended depth-of-focus"
Congratulations to Quentin for his article in Optics Communication! "A binary annular phase mask to regulate spherical aberration and allow super-localization in single-particle tracking over extended depth-of-focus"
June 1st, 2023:
Welcome to Marc joining the lab as Senior Research Engineer!
Welcome to Marc joining the lab as Senior Research Engineer!
April 3, 2023:
Welcome to Hanna joining us as a Postdoc!
Welcome to Hanna joining us as a Postdoc!
March 16, 2023:
Congratulations to Karen for completed her PhD! This is a great achievement on a difficult subject!
Congratulations to Karen for completed her PhD! This is a great achievement on a difficult subject!
January 2nd, 2023:
Welcome to Stephane Bancelin joining the team as CNRS researcher for exciting new research in non-linear processes and microscopy
Welcome to Stephane Bancelin joining the team as CNRS researcher for exciting new research in non-linear processes and microscopy
June 2nd, 2022:
Congratulations to Chiara et al for this terrific work just accepted in Nanoletters "Near-infrared carbon nanotube tracking reveals the nanoscale extracellular space around synapses ". Another great achievement in collaboration with Laurent Groc's team
Congratulations to Chiara et al for this terrific work just accepted in Nanoletters "Near-infrared carbon nanotube tracking reveals the nanoscale extracellular space around synapses ". Another great achievement in collaboration with Laurent Groc's team
May 1st, 2022:
We wish Pierre the best for the installation of his new group at Xlim in Limoges!
We wish Pierre the best for the installation of his new group at Xlim in Limoges!
Feb 15, 2022:
Welcome Yoann joining us as undergrad student!
Welcome Yoann joining us as undergrad student!
Feb 1, 2022:
Welcome Benjamin joining us as postdoctoral fellow after a Ph.D at EPFL
Welcome Benjamin joining us as postdoctoral fellow after a Ph.D at EPFL
Jan 15, 2022:
Welcome Blanca and Mathieu joining us as undergrad students!
Welcome Blanca and Mathieu joining us as undergrad students!
October 31, 2021:
Check out our latest preprint showing how correlative imaging using carbon nanotube tracking and speckle imaging could reveal the nanoscale environment of the brain extracellular space around synapses: a great work by Chiara & Joana!
https://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2021.10.29.466461v1
Check out our latest preprint showing how correlative imaging using carbon nanotube tracking and speckle imaging could reveal the nanoscale environment of the brain extracellular space around synapses: a great work by Chiara & Joana!
https://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2021.10.29.466461v1
October 1, 2021:
Welcome Quentin joining us as a PhD student!
Welcome Quentin joining us as a PhD student!
November 21, 2020:
Congratulations to Antony for his paper accepted in Journal of Applied Physics about length measurements of carbon nanotubes through the analysis of their diffusion behaviour... independent of viscosity. Paper highlighted by the Editor!
Congratulations to Antony for his paper accepted in Journal of Applied Physics about length measurements of carbon nanotubes through the analysis of their diffusion behaviour... independent of viscosity. Paper highlighted by the Editor!
November 5, 2020:
Synergy grant from the ERC awarded to Laurent together with Laurent Groc, Erwan Bezard and Valentin Nägerl, all of us from labs of the Univ. Bordeaux campus. This will be the start of an ambitious project using new approaches in high-resolution microscopy at the service of a new conceptual framework in brain cell communication.
Looking forward to 6 years of great science!
Synergy grant from the ERC awarded to Laurent together with Laurent Groc, Erwan Bezard and Valentin Nägerl, all of us from labs of the Univ. Bordeaux campus. This will be the start of an ambitious project using new approaches in high-resolution microscopy at the service of a new conceptual framework in brain cell communication.
Looking forward to 6 years of great science!
October, 1, 2020:
welcome to Apolline joining us as a PhD student with co-advisor Stephane Morcet from ICMCB in Chemistry.
welcome to Apolline joining us as a PhD student with co-advisor Stephane Morcet from ICMCB in Chemistry.
July, 10, 2020:
our paper out today in Nature Communications where we used carbon nanotubes to image the parkinsonian brain. Congratulations to Fede from Erwan's lab and Chiara, without forgetting Antony, Amit and Noemie!
our paper out today in Nature Communications where we used carbon nanotubes to image the parkinsonian brain. Congratulations to Fede from Erwan's lab and Chiara, without forgetting Antony, Amit and Noemie!
March, 24, 2020:
Amit's paper to appear in Sci. Rep : sp3 defect functionalized nanotubes imaged at the single nanotube level deep into brain slices at ultralow excitation dose. Great collaboration with YuHuang Wang and Laurent Groc labs.
Amit's paper to appear in Sci. Rep : sp3 defect functionalized nanotubes imaged at the single nanotube level deep into brain slices at ultralow excitation dose. Great collaboration with YuHuang Wang and Laurent Groc labs.
Dec 03, 2019:
Welcome to Akhtar who just joined us as a postdoc!
Welcome to Akhtar who just joined us as a postdoc!
Nov 13, 2019:
Welcome to Somen who just joined us as a postdoc!
Welcome to Somen who just joined us as a postdoc!
Sept 27, 2019:
New publication in Science Advances: photo-activable emitters in the nearinfrared (>1µm) for superresolution microscopy based on carbon nanotube nanohybrids. Great work from Antoine with a nice collaboration with the lab of S. Reich at FU. Berlin
New publication in Science Advances: photo-activable emitters in the nearinfrared (>1µm) for superresolution microscopy based on carbon nanotube nanohybrids. Great work from Antoine with a nice collaboration with the lab of S. Reich at FU. Berlin
Sept 16, 2019:
Welcome to Karen for joining the group as a Ph.D student!
Welcome to Karen for joining the group as a Ph.D student!
July 15, 2019:
Big clap for Amit who obtained an Ass. Prof. Position at Bankura University!
Big clap for Amit who obtained an Ass. Prof. Position at Bankura University!
June 25, 2019:
Very glad to host Prof. Shi-Wei CHU from National Taiwan University as a visiting professor for 2 months in our group. Special thanks to Idex Bordeaux for the support!
Very glad to host Prof. Shi-Wei CHU from National Taiwan University as a visiting professor for 2 months in our group. Special thanks to Idex Bordeaux for the support!
June 13, 2019:
"A model of guided cell self-organization for rapid and spontaneous formation of functional vessels" published in Science Advances today: A collaboration with Pierre Nassoy and Andreas Bikfalvi labs
"A model of guided cell self-organization for rapid and spontaneous formation of functional vessels" published in Science Advances today: A collaboration with Pierre Nassoy and Andreas Bikfalvi labs
May 07, 2019:
Congratulations to Jeanne for our new SELFI paper just accepted!
Congratulations to Jeanne for our new SELFI paper just accepted!
Oct 01, 2018:
Welcome to Etienne joining us as CNRS researcher!
Welcome to Etienne joining us as CNRS researcher!
Sept 28, 2018:
New publication in Neuron with the Groc's lab now online.
New publication in Neuron with the Groc's lab now online.
July 01, 2018:
Welcome to Antony who joined our team as a postdoctoral fellow
Welcome to Antony who joined our team as a postdoctoral fellow
June 12, 2018:
Congratulations to Noémie: Paper just accepted in ACS Nano
Ultrashort Nanotubes that fluoresce! A nice collaboration with YuHuang Wang's group and Steve Doorn.
Congratulations to Noémie: Paper just accepted in ACS Nano
Ultrashort Nanotubes that fluoresce! A nice collaboration with YuHuang Wang's group and Steve Doorn.
June 05, 2018:
Congratulations to Pierre for the nice cover art of Nature Methods June issue:
"Solving the molecular Rubik’s cube with SELFI."
Congratulations to Pierre for the nice cover art of Nature Methods June issue:
"Solving the molecular Rubik’s cube with SELFI."
April 30, 2018: Our SELFI paper in Nature Methods is online. Congrats to Pierre & Jeanne!
