Used as a glycosidase inhibitor in biochemical research, particularly to study enzyme mechanisms involving glycoside hydrolases. It serves as a stable analog of natural sugar substrates, allowing scientists to probe enzyme active sites without undergoing hydrolysis. Commonly applied in assays to inhibit alpha-mannosidases, aiding in the investigation of glycoprotein processing and lysosomal storage disorders. Also utilized in structural biology for co-crystallization with enzymes to determine 3D structures of enzyme-substrate complexes.