Creator of iyris™ gains global recognition from Royal Society

The creator of iyris heat-blocking nanotechnology, Professor Derya Baran, has received global recognition for her work after being appointed a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

Prof. Baran, who is also associate professor in Material Science and Engineering at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, was recognised by the Society for her pioneering research and work in agricultural technology.

Prof. Baran founded RedSea which shares her technology and enables growers in hot climates to save water and energy while at the same time, improve plant health and increase yield.

iyris™ SecondSky™ has the potential to revolutionise food production in hot regions, making it more efficient and sustainable by cutting peak temperatures inside greenhouses using advanced nanotechnology heat-blocking material which is transparent to light and absorbent to heat.

It is proven to save energy and water while increasing yields and also helping to extend the growing season, ensuring a future where we can feed the world sustainably.

The RSC is the United Kingdom’s professional body for chemists and is the largest organisation in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences.

It is recognised as one of the most prestigious scientific bodies in the world and, as a Fellow, Dr Baran will be able to showcase her research to a wide audience, helping to further the objectives of RedSea to feed the world, sustainably.

Prof. Baran said: “I am honored to have been appointed Fellow and happy to have attained a level of professionalism recognised globally as an RSC Fellow.

“It will enable me to take the iyris technology and the further work of RedSea to a much wider audience and demonstrate how we can provide food security in hot climates while still growing in a sustainable way.”

Working in collaboration with growers and agronomists, Prof. Baran carried out research into optimising the light spectrum for plant growth underneath greenhouse coverings: allowing photovoltaic light to enter while controlling damaging infrared heat.

With increasing global concern over rising temperature, Dr. Baran focused on hotter climates where greenhouse temperatures can rise to dangerous levels.

The result was iyris™ SecondSky™ – a revolutionary, advanced heat absorbing material that uses nanotechnology to optimise the amount of Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) reaching the plants while absorbing Near Infrared Radiation (NIR).

This market-leading technology can reduce temperatures under these coverings by up to 10 C, producing a more productive growing environment and better working environment for staff.

iyris™ SecondSky™ is a direct replacement for standard polycarbonate, polyethylene, net and acrylic roofs and is fitted in exactly the same way as current products, needing no adaptation, new tools or techniques to install.

In 2023, the technology won the AE50 and Davidson prizes.

For further information about iyris, visit the website at www.iyris.ag