Used in research settings as a biomarker for bacterial infections, particularly in diagnosing chronic or systemic infections caused by certain pathogens like Bartonella species. It is a component of lipid A in bacterial endotoxins and can be detected in blood samples to indicate the presence of gram-negative bacterial activity. Due to its structural role in lipopolysaccharides, it also serves as a reference compound in studies related to inflammation and immune response activation. Additionally, it is employed in analytical chemistry for calibration and identification in mass spectrometry and chromatography workflows focused on microbial metabolites.