Used in organic synthesis as a chiral building block for pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of neuroactive compounds and central nervous system agents. Its cyclic beta-amino acid structure makes it valuable for constructing peptide mimetics and enzyme inhibitors. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship studies due to its constrained ring system that influences bioavailability and receptor selectivity. Also utilized in asymmetric synthesis to introduce stereocenters in complex molecules.