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Primates play an important role for the health and well-being. Through these animals, researchers can carry out a variety of biomedical studies such as testing the use of drugs, chemicals, biological substances, and other materials, which in turn will be used for the treatment of humans. 

This view was stated by Dr. Berry Juliandi, one of the speakers in the dialogue of RRI, 93.75 FM, Bogor recently. 

Further, Dr. Berry explained, other biomedical research can also be done on matters relating to health and illness caused by infection, degeneration, and accidents. Researchers can conduct studies on the transmission of bacteria and viruses to humans, stem cell transplant therapy to various organs, certain dietary influences on human health, and so forth. 

When one listener asked what animals include primates, Dr. Berry explained those primates include the animals like monkeys, orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons, loris, and kukang. These animals have similar genetics, physiology, morphology, and many other things to humans. Therefore, this group of animals is appropriate in use for a research model rather than other animals. 

The dialogue, which was guided by Marissa, appeared to be different from the previous dialogue as it presented two other speakers, senior researcher of  primate Dr. Bambang Suryobroto of the Department of Biology and Dr. Luca Morino from Kyoto University in Japan, who was visiting Bogor to be one of the speakers in front of the hundreds of participants who attended the International Symposium on Asian Primates,  a collaboration of  IPB with Kyoto University, on 18-21 August 2014 at IPB International Convention Center. Read more: Asian Primates International Symposium. (adapted from ipb.ac.id)