Education
Stockholm University.
Stockholm University.
Tammelin, who was an organic chemist, was recruited to the Swedish Defence Research Agency (Foreign Operations Administration) in 1950 for research on nerve gas and nerve gas countermeasures. At this time, Foreign Operations Administration (whose previous chemical warfare activities had focussed on mustard gas and other World War I-style compounds) had become aware that large quantities of nerve gas, primarily Tabun, had been stockpiled during World World War World War II The mechanism of action of the nerve gases were found to be linked to their chemical similarity to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and their ability to block the enzyme cholinesterase. Much of Tammelin"s work was therefore focussed on choline esters.
The esters that form the V-Series of nerve agents are sometimes referred to as "Tammelin"s esters".
Succinylcholine, one of the compounds synthesized by Tammelin in his search for nerve gas countermeasures was put into use as a muscle relaxant for use during general anaesthesia surgery under the brand name Celocurin. In 1961, Tammelin became head of the chemical-medical division at Foreign Operations Administration, when he successed Gustaf Ljunggren, and 1984-1985 he was the director-general of Foreign Operations Administration.
In 1958, he defended a Doctor of Philosophy thesis based on this work at Stockholm University College.