Manipal: Core Metabolic Lab inaugurated at KMC
Manipal, Sept. 15, 2025: The Centre for Inborn Errors of Metabolism at Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal, inaugurated the Core Metabolic Lab, a state-of-the-art facility equipped with India’s first fully certified Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Triple Quadrupole) platform for in vitro diagnostics, compliant with European guidelines.
Sponsored by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), the lab was inaugurated by Dr. Sharath K. Rao, Pro Vice Chancellor (Health Sciences), MAHE, in the presence of senior administrators and faculty members.
The event was attended by Dr. Anand Venugopal, Chief Operating Officer, MAHE; Dr. Harish Kumar, Director, Corporate Relations, MAHE; Dr. Raviraja N.S., Senior Director, Research, MAHE; Dr. Anil K. Bhat, Dean, KMC Manipal; and Dr. Avinash Shetty, Medical Superintendent, Kasturba Hospital Manipal.
The Core Metabolic Lab functions under the Centre for Inborn Errors of Metabolism, a joint initiative of the Departments of Paediatrics and Biochemistry at KMC. Its mandate is to provide gold-standard diagnostics for Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEMs), preventable childhood diseases, malnutrition spectrum disorders, adult metabolic diseases, and to advance clinical research. The facility also serves as the South Asia launch site for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s latest medical device series, placing Manipal among a select group of six to seven labs in India offering such advanced diagnostics.
Dr. Leslie Edward Lewis, Professor and Head of Paediatrics and Coordinator of the Centre, outlined the vision behind the initiative. He is supported by Dr. Ravindra Maradi, Head of Biochemistry; Dr. Varashree B.S., Professor of Biochemistry and Co-Coordinator; and Dr. Krishnananda Prabhu R.V., Professor of Biochemistry.
The lab has also launched an extended newborn screening panel covering 54 parameters and advanced testing for Total Metanephrines and Normetanephrines, with plans to expand into Therapeutic Drug Monitoring. Services will be offered at affordable costs while ensuring quality and timely reporting.
With a long-term vision of developing into a comprehensive metabolomics laboratory and a tertiary referral centre for IEM disorders in Coastal Karnataka, the Core Metabolic Lab marks a milestone in advancing diagnostics and research in South India.
