Used in biochemical and pharmaceutical research as a building block for peptide synthesis. Serves as a chiral intermediate in the development of enzyme inhibitors and metabolic pathway studies. Commonly employed in cell culture media formulations to support cell growth, especially in glutamine-dependent cell lines. Also utilized in studies related to amino acid metabolism, neurotransmission, and protein folding due to its structural similarity to natural glutamine. Its racemic form allows for comparative studies between D- and L-enantiomers in biological systems.