Used as a substrate in enzymatic assays to detect β-glucosidase activity. It is particularly useful in microbiology and molecular biology for identifying bacterial colonies that express this enzyme. When cleaved by β-glucosidase, it produces an insoluble blue-green precipitate, making it a valuable tool for visualizing enzyme activity in research and diagnostic applications. Commonly employed in histochemistry and cell biology studies to localize and quantify enzyme presence in tissues or cells.