Widely used as a fluorogenic substrate in enzymatic assays, particularly for detecting sulfatase activity. When cleaved by sulfatase enzymes, it releases 4-methylumbelliferone, a highly fluorescent compound that can be easily measured at specific excitation and emission wavelengths. This property makes it valuable in microbiology, biochemistry, and clinical diagnostics for identifying and quantifying sulfatase-producing organisms or monitoring enzyme kinetics. It is also employed in high-throughput screening and cell-based assays where sensitive detection of enzymatic activity is required.