Used in the synthesis of fluorinated peptides and proteins to enhance metabolic stability and bioavailability. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for developing enzyme inhibitors and receptor ligands, particularly in studies involving protein-protein interactions. Its trifluoromethyl group improves lipophilicity and binding affinity, making it valuable in drug design and pharmacokinetic optimization. Also utilized as a labeled amino acid in NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry for tracking metabolic pathways and studying protein folding.