Used in veterinary medicine as an antibiotic to treat bacterial infections in animals, particularly mastitis in cattle. It shows strong activity against Gram-positive bacteria and some anaerobes. Also used in cell culture and microbiology research as a selection agent for resistant cell lines, especially in systems employing the thiostrepton resistance gene (tsr) as a selectable marker. Investigated for its antimalarial properties due to its ability to inhibit protein synthesis in apicoplasts of Plasmodium species. Additionally, it has been studied for potential anticancer activity, particularly in inhibiting proteasome function and FOXM1 signaling in tumor cells.