Biotechnology

The hidden date for this stamp can be found along the left edge of the stamp.

Canada has many reasons to be proud of its presence on the international stage and, among these, few are so well known as our achievements in the fields of high technology. Four high-tech sectors have been particularly important to our economy, and each of these will be the subject of domestic-rate (45¢) stamp release scheduled for 15 February, 1996. Darrell Corriveau, Glenda Rissman and Peter Scott of Q30 Design Inc collaborated on the design of High Technology Industries. The Toronto firm's previous experience includes the design of The Holocaust commemorative stamp and the award-winning International Dinosaur album published in 1993. Each stamp in the set is a blend of images that illustrate segments of a technology or industry. While each stamp is distinctive, the set is unified by a creative visual style that balances photographs with line drawing representing specific and technical elements. And because the progress of technology is so dependent on the input and creativity of industry, this series takes care to recognize the contribution of particular industries to the health of the economy and the life of country. It's been called the eighth day of creation. Biologists have long known that plants and animals inherit characteristics from their parents and with varying degrees of success, this knowledge has been utilized in breeding programs. The development of genetic science has led to extremely sophisticated biotechnology programs. Unlike traditional breeding technology which is limited by the need to combine closely related species, biotechnology offers the possibility of moving generic material between unrelated organisms. The results are so staggering, and the possibilities so great, that biotechnology is clearly one of the miracle developments of our age. In forestry, biotechnology is developing superior trees for reforestation; in agriculture, new plants which require less herbicide treatment have been designed. Pulp and waste management companies are looking for ways to replace toxic bleaching agents with safer organic compounds. And the pharmaceutical industry is creating important new drugs and improving existing ones. Medical biotechnology promises treatments that will replace or block genes that cause some cancers and diseases such as cystic fibrosis. The biotechnology stamp was inspired by three aspects of biotechnology - the science of molecular biology, its application in the process of engineering new plants, and the products of these applications. The stamp includes a 3D model of DNA which signifies the sub-microscopic level at which biochemists work. The sketches in the centre of the artwork interpret the transfer of a selected gene from a bacterial plasmid - to a chromosome within a plant cell. A photograph of a canola flower is found on the left side of the stamp. In 1994 a type of canola became the first genetically engineered plant approved for commercial planting in Canada.