Amrita School of Ayurveda inaugurated its ACARA (Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda) Laboratory on December 15, 2017. The Research Laboratory at Amrita School of Ayurveda has been set up with the blessings of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Chancellor, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Amma and is inspired by her vision to foster the global acceptance of Ayurveda through world class multidisciplinary research.

The inauguration started with traditional salutations, the Sri Maha Ganapathi Homam, celebrated to remind that the gross and subtle body relate to everyday life, and to achieve internal and external cleanliness and purity.

ACARA was formally inaugurated by Swami Amritageetananda Puri by lighting the traditional lamp and offering of flowers. In the inaugural meeting that followed, Dr. Shantikumar Nair, Dean of Research, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Director, Amrita Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, delivered the Presidential Address. Br. Sankara Chaitanya, Medical Director, Amrita School of Ayurveda, welcomed the gathering and Dr. P. Ram Manohar, Director, Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda, Amritapuri, gave an overview of the Laboratory and its scope. Prof. Nereo Bresolin, an eminent neurologist and Prof. Antonella Delle Fave, an eminent psychiatrist, both faculty of the University of Milan, Italy, graced the occasion by their distinguished presence. Dr. Asoke Banerji , Distinguished Professor at Amrita School of Biotechnology, Dr. M. R. Vasudevan Namboothiri, Principal, Amrita School of Ayurveda, and Dr. Rabinarayan Tripathy, Vice Principal, Amrita School of Ayurveda, also spoke on the occasion.

In the first phase of its operations, the ACARA Laboratory has acquired over 30 instruments to set up facilities for Chromatography (HPTLC), Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS and LC MS/MS), Microbiology, Cell Culture, Gel Documentation, Genetic Studies, Fluorescent Microscopy and other analytical techniques to test the quality of Ayurvedic medicines.

ACARA lab will cater to the needs of Ayurveda PG and PhD scholars for the pursuit of their research projects, scientists and researchers interested in multidisciplinary research in Ayurveda, as well as clinical researchers in the field of Ayurveda and the Ayurveda Pharma Industry.

With the help of these instruments, it will be possible to check for the presence of heavy metals in Ayurvedic medicines and also to check their quality and consistency. Research studies to understand the mechanism of the action of Ayurvedic medicines can be performed. Additionally, the interactions between Ayurvedic medicines and modern allopathic medicines can be checked. Advanced lab tests to assess the efficacy of Ayurvedic medicines administered in humans can also be conducted at the lab.