In memory of Karl-Ernst Kaissling (1933–2026)

On behalf of the Latin American Association of Chemical Ecology (ALAEQ)

With deep sadness, the ALAEQ community mourns the passing of Karl-Ernst Kaissling, a scientist whose work has shaped our understanding of sensory biology. His contributions transformed our view of how insects detect chemical signals and laid the foundations that continue to guide research across sensory physiology and chemical ecology.

Kaissling devoted his career to unraveling the mechanisms of olfaction in insects. His pioneering studies on sex pheromone detection revealed how even a few molecules can activate specific neurons and trigger stereotyped behaviors. At a time when sensory biology lacked refined tools, his experimental approach, rigorous, elegant, and deeply quantitative, made it possible to clearly connect chemical signals with neuronal responses and behavior.

His work opened a window into the functioning of the peripheral nervous system and helped define a framework in which olfactory receptor neurons can be understood as highly specialized physicochemical detectors. These contributions became a reference point for generations of researchers and continue to shape how we think about sensory coding. Throughout his career, Kaissling approached olfaction as a multilevel problem, integrating processes from the ultrastructure of sensory organs to molecular transduction, neuronal function, and behavior. In doing so, he helped establish an approach to studying sensory systems that many of us continue to build upon.

Beyond his scientific achievements, he will be remembered for his clarity of thought, his intellectual rigor, and his ability to ask questions that were both simple and profound. His legacy lives on in the many lines of research he inspired and in the scientists who continue to explore the questions he helped bring into focus.

Today, in a field enriched by sophisticated molecular, genomic, and computational tools, the fundamental questions that Kaissling helped to formulate remain unchanged: how is a chemical cue from the external world transformed into something meaningful for the animal? How does behavior emerge from the activity of individual neurons?

Remembering him is, in many ways, a return to those essential questions.

As a community, we recognize how deeply his ideas are embedded in the way we approach our own questions today.

With gratitude and admiration, we remember and honor his life and work.

Romina Barrozo

President ALAEQ