17-ODYA (17-octadecynoic acid) is a versatile tool in biochemical research, primarily used to study lipid metabolism, membrane dynamics, and fatty acid oxidation pathways. It serves as an alkyne-containing fatty acid analog in click chemistry applications for bioorthogonal labeling and tracking of lipids in live cells, enabling investigations into lipid trafficking, membrane organization, and protein-lipid interactions. Additionally, 17-ODYA acts as a mechanism-based inhibitor for cytochrome P450 enzymes, particularly CYP4A, allowing researchers to probe enzyme mechanisms in fatty acid oxidation and related metabolic processes. It is employed in studies of lipid metabolism disorders, such as obesity and atherosclerosis, and in analyzing cellular and tissue functions to understand energy metabolism and disease progression. Its ability to incorporate into cellular lipids makes it an invaluable probe for imaging and dissecting lipid-related biological processes.