Used primarily in biochemical research as a non-natural amino acid analog of phenylalanine to study protein synthesis, function, and amino acid incorporation into peptides and proteins. It helps elucidate mechanisms of translation, enzyme specificity, and metabolic pathways. Additionally, it is employed in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging as a tracer (often radiolabeled) to monitor tumor metabolism, amino acid transport, and glucose utilization in cancer cells. Its structural similarity to natural phenylalanine enables it to interfere with protein production in microorganisms, making it valuable in antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance studies.