Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of neuroactive compounds and enzyme inhibitors. Its structural similarity to glutamic acid allows it to interact with glutamate receptors, such as NMDA and AMPA, and metabolic pathways, making it valuable in neuroscience research. Also employed in the preparation of specialty peptides and as a precursor in asymmetric synthesis for creating complex organic molecules with high stereochemical purity. Additionally, it serves as an internal standard in analytical techniques like chromatography and spectroscopy to identify and quantify biomolecules in biological samples.