Used in biochemical research as a building block for peptide synthesis, particularly in the study of enzyme mechanisms and protein interactions. It serves as a precursor for the synthesis of specialized amino acids and compounds with potential therapeutic applications. In medicinal chemistry, it is employed to develop analogs of natural amino acids for drug discovery, targeting neurological and metabolic disorders. Additionally, it is utilized in the production of chiral catalysts and ligands for asymmetric synthesis in organic chemistry. Its role in studying neurotransmission and receptor binding is also significant in neuroscience research.