The invention relates to a method which can be used to control the positioning of a biological element on an area of a support directly and in real time, whereby the biological element is marked with a light-emitting tracer and the area of the support on which it is to be positioned is located in a layer of material that can trap the light. The inventive method comprises the following steps consisting in: a) allowing the biological element to be positioned on the area of the support; b) measuring the intensity of the light trapped in the aforementioned layer; and c) determining the position of the biological element by comparing the intensity value thus measured to at least one reference value. According to the invention, steps a), b) and c) can be performed successively or simultaneously. The invention also relates to a device which enables said method to be used in order to position one or more biological elements on one or more areas of a support.