Thursday, January 10, 2013

India 2013 Centenary of the Indian Science Congress

The Indian Post released on 3 January 2013, a stamp commemorating the centenary of the Indian Science Congress. The stamp features a youth peering at a growing flower through a magnifying glass, depicting youth examining growing science in India, and the double helical representation of DNA covers the background of the stamp.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Moldova 2012 George Emil Palade

Moldova released a set of 4 stamps on 27 August 2012 featuring renowned personalities, Geroge Emil Palade (19 November 1912 – 8 October 2008) being one of them. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1974, together with Albert Claude and Christian de Duve, for his innovations in electron microscopy and cell fractionation which together laid the foundations of modern molecular cell biology, the most notable discovery being the ribosomes of the endoplasmic reticulum which he first described in 1955. Palade also received the U.S. National Medal of Science in Biological Sciences in 1986 for "pioneering discoveries of a host of fundamental, highly organized structures in living cells".

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Czech Republic 2012 Gregor Johann Mendel

The Czech Republic released on 4 April 2012 a single stamp to commemorate the 190th anniversary of the birth of Gregor Johann Mendel, an Augustinian monk who pioneered the science of genetic inheritance.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Mexico 2012 World Down Syndrome Day

For the 2012 World Down Syndrome Day (21 March), the mexican postal authority released a stamp featuring the painting by Lorena Velez entitled "The Monarch Butterfly" (La Mariposa Monarca), for which the reproduction could be purchased at the John Langdon Down Foundation School of Fine Arts site. John Langdon Haydon (18 November 1828 - 7 October 1896) was a British doctor who described the relatively common genetic disorder of Down Syndrome.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

France 2012 30th Anniversary of 1st heart-lung transplant in Europe

The French Post released on 18 June 2012, a stamp to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first european heart-lung transplant. The transplant was conducted by Professors Christian Cabrol et Iradj Gandjbakhch; the transplant was possible because of the discovery of cyclosporine, an efficient drug to prevent organ rejection. Today, such interventions are limited by the availability of willing donors.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Ecuador 2011 Fight Against Cancer

This stamp was issued on 19 December 2011 by the postal authority of Ecuador, with an anti-cancer theme. On the top right corner shows St George killing the dragon, the symbol for SOLCA  (Sociedad de Lucha Contra el Cáncer del Ecuador), the Ecuadorian Anti-Cancer Society. The wordings (in Spanish) to the left are probably the society's campaign motto - Cancer occurs when you least expect it / Check for it today / Early detection is the cure. The background illustration shows a histological image of tissue, usually taken from biopsies conducted during screening for cancer; the biopsied tissues may be stained according to the type of cancer to be screened and then examined under a microscope by a pathologist, the stained tissues would also be typically photographed under microscope and stored for further examination.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Mexico 2011 Food Safety & Security

This beautiful souvenir sheet was released by Mexico on 18 October 2011 on the theme of Health and Security in Mexico. From the illustrations, it is obvious that the focus is on food safety and food security. The sheet contains 6 stamps: The first stamp is about Alfonso Luis Herrera Lopez, a pioneer of plant health in Mexico; the second stamp features the meat industry, stating the fact of freedom from foot and mouth disease (FMD) for more than half a century, and showing an inspection and approval seal of SAGARPA (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food; the third stamp features Dieter Enkerlin and his work in pest control in the cotton industry using sterile insect technique; the fourth stamp emphasizes good practices in food industry; the fifth stamp features control, inspection and verification in food distribution; the last stamp features research and development based on antibodies and genetics, this stamp features the double helical representation of DNA. The sheet selvage features various scenes in the food industry and representation of type of food in Mexico.

Each of the 6 stamps is watermarked with fluorescent ink bearing the symbol of SENASICA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria), Natioanl Agroalimentary Health, Safety & Quality Services, as shown below with one of the stamps illuminated with UV light.