Pre conference course E - BSL-3 Facilities: From Planning to Performance Verification - Instructors

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Pre conference course E - BSL-3 Facilities: From Planning to Performance Verification

Tuesday, 02 June 2026 09:00 - Tuesday, 02 June 2026 17:00 (CET) EBSA , preconference , preview

About the speakers

  1. Felix Gmünder

    Felix Gmünder

    Academic Education and Degrees

    Felix Gmünder holds an MSc in Microbiology and a PhD in Biotechnology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ). He is a trained clinical microbiologist, an ABSA-registered Biosafety Professional, and a Certified Safety Engineer in Switzerland.

    Current Position

    Currently, Felix Gmünder is the Senior Expert in Biosafety and Biocontainment at Basler & Hofmann AG. 

    Experience 

    With decades of experience, he has led the planning, design, commissioning, and validation of (A)BSL-3 and (A)BSL-4 laboratories, as well as GMP/biosafety bulk production facilities across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Furthermore, Felix Gmünder specializes in hands-on biosafety training, hazard analysis, and risk assessments, in particular related to cross-contamination prevention. He has also conducted audits, performance verifications, and certifications for high- and maximum-containment facilities for over 20 years. 

  2. Timo Kehl

    Timo Kehl

    Current Position: Head of Biosafety and Research Safety 

    Responsible for the DKFZ-wide representation of Biosafety and Research Safety, serving as the officially appointed operator’s representative under the German Genetic Engineering Act (GenTG). Oversight includes risk and compliance management across all biological laboratory space, strategic coordination between senior management, regulatory authorities, and approximately 1,500 researchers. 

    Experience

    • Over 9 years of direct responsibility for two BSL-3 laboratories at DKFZ, including risk assessments, implementation of protective measures, staff training, audit preparation, and oversight of day-to-day high-containment operations
    • Expertise in the planning, design, renovation, and regulatory approval of biological laboratories (BSL-1/2/3), including technical–architectural consulting, coordination of interfaces between stakeholders, and fulfilment of operator responsibilities under German biosafety regulations
    • Extensive teaching and training experience, providing more than 210 hours of accredited courses since 2022 on genetic engineering legislation (GenTG), biological agents regulation (BioStoffV), risk assessment, lab design & operations
    • Organizer and host of the German BSL-3 Workshop Series (since 2024), a practice-oriented, legislation compliant advanced training program for biosafety professionals

    Memberships and active roles in national committees: 

    • Voting member of Subcommittee UA2 (Safety Measures) and UA4 (Technical Measures) at the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), contributing to national biosafety and biocontainment regulation 

    • Member of the TRBA 100 revision working group, responsible for updating the German Technical Rule on protective measures for laboratory activities involving biological agents 

    • Spokesperson of the Helmholtz Working Group on Biosafety, coordinating biosafety strategy and harmonisation across the Helmholtz Association 

    • Member of the German Biosafety Network (NBS), contributing to national dialogue, professional development, and policy exchange in biosafety