2-Mercaptoethanol is widely used in biochemistry and molecular biology as a reducing agent to break disulfide bonds within proteins, enabling the study of their structure and function. It is also employed in cell culture media to maintain a reducing environment, which is crucial for the growth of certain cell types. Additionally, it serves as a stabilizing agent in the preparation of RNA and DNA samples, preventing degradation during extraction and analysis. In industrial applications, it acts as a chain transfer agent in polymerization processes, helping to control the molecular weight of polymers. Its ability to scavenge free radicals also makes it useful in various chemical synthesis and stabilization processes.