MES is widely used as a buffering agent in biological and biochemical research due to its effective pH range of 5.5 to 6.7. It is particularly useful in cell culture applications and protein purification processes where stable pH conditions are critical. MES does not interfere with many enzymatic reactions and is compatible with common laboratory assays, making it a preferred choice in electrophoresis and chromatography. It is also employed in plant tissue culture media and in some pharmaceutical formulations where a non-reactive, zwitterionic buffer is required. Its low metal ion binding capacity helps prevent unwanted interactions in sensitive experiments.