2-Mercaptoethanol is widely used in biochemistry and molecular biology as a reducing agent to break disulfide bonds within proteins, aiding in their denaturation for analysis and preventing oxidation of proteins and enzymes during separation processes. In laboratory settings, it is a component in buffers for DNA and RNA isolation to prevent sample degradation. It is also employed in cell culture to maintain a reducing environment, preventing oxidative stress and ensuring cell viability. Additionally, it serves as a stabilizer in enzyme preparations and is utilized in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and organic compounds, including vaccine production to maintain stability of active substances. Its ability to act as a thiol-protecting group makes it valuable in peptide synthesis and protein folding studies.