Used in the synthesis of peptide-based pharmaceuticals and bioactive compounds, particularly in research involving enzyme inhibitors and receptor ligands. Its amino and carboxyl functional groups allow incorporation into custom peptides, where it can influence conformation and binding properties. Commonly applied in medicinal chemistry for developing treatments targeting neurological disorders and cancer due to its structural similarity to natural amino acids. Also utilized as a building block in solid-phase peptide synthesis and in studies requiring labeled or modified amino acid analogs.