Used in metabolic engineering and glycobiology research to modulate sialic acid biosynthesis in cells. Enables controlled cell surface engineering by introducing non-natural sialic acids, useful in studying cell signaling, immune responses, and pathogen attachment. Applied in developing glyco-engineered therapeutics and diagnostic tools by facilitating site-specific glycosylation modifications. Also explored in cancer research for altering tumor cell surface glycans to influence metastasis and immune recognition.