GASB team
STEERING COMMITTEE
The steering committee is GASB’s official representation and is annually elected through the members meeting. As the main operational board, the steering committee ensures the proper function of the association and represents GASB externally. Please contact each individual member of the steering committee directly with your questions or use our contact form for general requests. We are looking forward to getting in touch with you! You can contact us in German or English!
Louis
Schanzmann
Head of Steering
As Head of Steering of the German Association for Synthetic Biology, his motivation is to achieve the best results for our members, advocate for their interests, and promote the growth of synthetic biology in science, industry, and politics.
Carolina
Elizondo
Vice Head of Steering
Carolina is the current Vice-Head of Steering at GASB. She is doing her PhD at Heidelberg University on the phenotypic heterogeneity of B. subtilis biofilms and spores. Even though not working directly with SynBio, she believes it is a key discipline to solve many of our society’s problems. Reason why she joined GASB at the end of 2022, where she has worked in the Collaborations Associations team, to promote SynBio together with other Associations not only in Germany, but all around the world.
Raoul
Polder
Treasurer
Raoul joined GASB in 2024 after being introduced to SynBio through a startup program. With his professional and academic background in business rather than biology, he hopes to bring new perspectives to the association and help further develop GASB, since he believes that SynBio provides key technologies to address current and future economic and environmental challenges.
Nikita
Edel
Head of Operations
Nikita joined GASB in 2023 after participating in the SynBioWorld Cafe 2022. Currently he studies Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Freiburg. After acting as our Officer for Education last year, he now puts his GASB-experiance to use by taking care of the administrative tasks behind the scenes, allowing us to work effeciently.
Lena Maria
Hümmler
Head of Academia
Lena is a PhD student focusing on synthetic microbiology and metabolic engineering in the Lindlich Lab at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Her involvement began after the GCSB 2024. As Officer of Scientific Collaboration, Lena is responsible for communication with academic partners as well as coordinating the organization of academic events.
Florian
Hänsel
Head of Politics
Florian is a PhD student at the CEPLAS excellence cluster in Düsseldorf, where he focuses on synthetic microbial communities and the plant microbiome. He joined GASB in 2022 and was a delegate to the UN CBD COP15, before steering GASB politics for the first time in 2024. As the Officer for Politics, he works at the interface of science and policy to promote a responsible and progressive political landscape, thus fostering the SynBio ecosystem in Germany and beyond.
Andrea
Pönitzsch
Head of Industry
Andrea recently graduated as a process engineer at the University of Freiberg. In 2023 she joined GASB just by exitement about the emerging field, volunteering in the Industry Team for organizing the SynBio StartUp Conference. She is excited to work with the next generation of SynBio pioneers, bringing together key players and thus actively contributing to the sustainable advancement of the SynBio landscape in Germany and Europe.
Project leads
ACTIVE MEMBERS
Whether it is through organizing the next conference, panel discussion or realizing their own project ideas, the active members of GASB leave their footprints on the road to establishing a SynBio community in Germany. In collaboration with small interdisciplinary teams our active members support us realizing our events and projects. Do you want to contribute or are you just curious what possibilities lie ahead? Become Active!
