Inauguration of the ‘National Analytical Facility for Nutrition and Metabolism Research’

The National Analytical Facility for Nutrition and Metabolism Research at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad (TIFRH) was inaugurated by Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty (Chairman-Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary-Department of Atomic Energy (DAE Government of India) on June 23, 2025. This marks a significant milestone in our efforts to advance nutrition science and health research.

The new facility has been established under the ambit of TIFR/ARUMDA (stands for Advanced Research Unit on Metabolism, Development, and Aging), a first-of-its-kind multidisciplinary research center/unit dedicated to cutting-edge research in metabolism, nutrition, and aging. This pioneering hub bridges basic science and clinical research, uniting biologists, physicians, and public health experts to address India’s most pressing health challenges—including anemia, obesity, diabetes, and double-burden malnutrition.

ARUMDA is the first multi-disciplinary dedicated research unit in the country to address metabolic/life-style diseases by bridging basic biology, epidemiology, community health and clinical research. Central theme at ARUMDA is to address genetic, dietary and geographical diversities which along with socio-economic disparities and rapidly changing life-styles are leading to explosive rise in the incidence of metabolic syndromes and age-associated diseases.

A Transformative Step for Nutrition and Metabolic Research
ARUMDA’s state-of-the-art facility is equipped with advanced technologies to support both clinical and pre-clinical studies, enabling breakthroughs in:
Anemia research and micronutrient deficiencies/supplementation.
Obesity and metabolic disorders via body composition analysis and measuring energy expenditure.
Diabetes and metabolic health using high-resolution metabolomics, targeted metabolomics, and metallomics.
Double-burden malnutrition (coexisting undernutrition and obesity).

ARUMDA’s mission is aimed at supporting India’s flagship health programs, including:
– Anemia Mukt Bharat: Enhancing strategies to combat iron deficiency.
– POSHAN Abhiyaan: Tackling malnutrition through precision nutrition research.
– Ayushman Bharat: Strengthening preventive and metabolic healthcare.

The facility is also being utilised to serve an ICMR centre of advanced research on “Normative Baseline for Childhood Development in India,” and the technologies are used for setting standards for early-life metabolic health and growth trajectories.

The National Analytical Facility is equipped with cutting-edge metabolomics platforms and serves large number of clinical and basic biology researchers across the country. Studies supported by this facility will have the capacity to position India as a global leader in metabolomics, enabling cutting-edge research, precision nutrition and precision medicine.

News coverage in The Hindu.